Mom's Night Off... Cheeseboard Pizza

After the debacle that was last night's dinner and the fact that I am cooking far more than I usually do), I decided to take tonight off and pick up a pizza from one of my favorite food places on the planet- The Cheeseboard.


The Cheeseboard is a true Berkeley Landmark. I love that the worker-owners there make you feel like family. When Ivan works from home, our morning ritual involves a walk up the block to pick up some lattes (which I consider the best in North Berkeley!) a corn cherry scone for Ivan, an asiago cheese roll for me and the boys split an incredibly decadent Chocolate Thing, an enormous roll of warm bread with chunks of melted chocolate baked in, and yes...it is actually called a Chocolate Thing :).

Cheese Rolls

... and while our family knows it as our place for morning coffee and freshly baked treats, it probably best known as a cheese lovers paradise, with offerings of hundreds of different types of cheese. I recently became smitten with Il Boschetto al Tartufo, a mild semisoft cheese blend of sheep and cow's milk, loaded with white truffle bits...mmmm

Il Boschetto al Tartufo and grapes, my special treat

Cheeseboard pizzas are truly special. They use gourmet cheeses, olive oil rather than tomato sauce and seasonal vegetables. They serve only one kind a day and it varies. Tonight's pizza is fresh corn and chile pasilla, onions, feta and mozzarella cheeses, garlic olive oil, cilantro and Mexican key lime :)

Thanks so much for your gadget suggestions! I'm leaning towards an immersion blender, especially after last night's soup. I'm taking your suggestions and going to cook it again and blend it. You have all been so lovely in joining me in my cooking journey, wish I could have you all over for warm soup, crusty bread and some good wine!

Please come visit tomorrow as I am finally going to do my first giveaway!
(and I promise it's something really fun!)

Simple Pleasures and Found Treasure

Simple Pleasures...

Ivan was surprised to come home today to find me ironing our everyday napkins. I have to say that it's not a normally a chore I have on my to-do list, but our days have been so incredibly chaotic that I felt the need to put some semblance of order somewhere, anywhere in our lives. There was something so comforting about spraying the water, listening to the hiss of steam and the rhythmic back and forth motion of a hot iron... and then finally, the immediate gratification of running my hand along the smooth fabric... it brought me an easy and simple bliss.


Lately I've found myself focusing on finding beauty and pleasure in the smallest of our daily movements and items. I took some time this week to clean out the refrigerator of the myriad of condiments, jams and whatnot that had been sitting in there forever and was happy to find some pretty glass jars (after cleaning) to use for vases, storage, etc.


I took more than a little pride in finally going through the stack of little boy jeans that needed mending and finally patching them up. I realize that many would argue that it probably is more cost efficient to just go buy new pairs than to spend the time sewing them, but the frugal side of me could not bear the thought of spending money when I could just fix them myself and get a little bit more life out of them.

"Before" picture

Perhaps I am looking for joy in the small things that are more readily under my control rather than the larger, bigger issues in life that aren't. Nevertheless, I hope that all of you find small bits of happiness in your daily routine and as I always find inspiration from you, my friends, I hope you'll share what kind of joy you find in your daily life :)

... Found Treasure

I have to admit a not-so-dark secret of mine... I am a bit of a scavenger. Luckily, there are vast riches to be found in being a scavenger in my neighborhood. Now, please don't get me wrong, it's not like I dig through peoples trash bins (um, big yuck) but I do avail myself of the boxes of free things (like books, household items, etc) the neighbors leave out on the curb in front of their homes. The other day I was wistfully thinking about making the green shack a place to get away if I needed some breathing space. I was thinking that a wicker chair may be a nice addition... and then last weekend THIS appeared on the sidewalk a few blocks from my home!

I couldn't believe it, a (relatively) clean rocker in pretty good shape! There are a few spots that could use reinforcement, but oh.my.goodness, it was even better than the one I had pictured in my mind! I am showing it here with some pieces of an old quilt (that again, I had found in a free box) I am going to make cushions with. (The ottoman was a find at a local salvage paradise called Urban Ore- only $5!).

It's surreal how I can think about needing/wanting something and within a few days, the universe will provide it curbside. An umbrella double stroller, baskets from Ikea (the exact same ones I was planning on going out to buy the next day), racks for the boys trains, a baby name book while I was pregnant... are just a few things that seem to arrive just when I need them. I tend to walk everywhere -usually with the boys and a stroller- so it is a bit of a job explaining to them why they need to walk so Mommy can carry furniture home in their seats, but I think they're used to it by now : ).

I thought I'd share some of the flowers that we have in our dining room. Whenever I walk by them or see them from another room, they lift my spirits up a bit... a simple pleasure I wanted to share with you all :)


(By the way, my apologies for my lack of WIP updates.. I just haven't had much progress on any of my crafty works, but with Matteo's birthday coming next week, I'll be hunkering down this weekend to finish things up and hopefully will have an eyeful for you all next week!)

Breathe In, Finding Center, Exhale...

Ever have one of those weeks where you just feel like you can barely catch your breath? Where your life feels like it's on hyperspeed? I feel like I've just hit that wall and am trying to figure out how to s l o w it all down. I'm just craving some calm and quiet. As much as I love our life here in the Bay Area sometimes (um, like about right now) it's all just too much and I fantasize about an alternate reality where we're living in someplace simpler, rural and woodsy.

A place where the kids have space and room to run around in the trees... maybe even a creek to look for tadpoles.

At the creek that runs through the UC Berkeley campus nearby

For me, I'd suddenly sprout a green thumb and could plant a garden that could actually feed us.

From my dad's garden

In the evenings, by the light of the fireplace, cuddled up in quilts that I'd have time to make, we'd all read stories together.
Matteo with the last full size quilt I made circa 1993

My brainy husband could do his work from home and join us for lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (from aforementioned fantasy garden).

I realize that we've been able to replicate a lot of the elements of my alternalife into our everyday world... maybe it's just up to me to stop the overscheduling and the rush from one place to another. I know I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure the boys are engaged and active. I worry that I'm a slacker mom by not signing them up for swim lessons, soccer camp and music classes, but I know that doing all those activities wouldn't be coming from their own desires, but rather my own insecurities that I should be doing what other Bay Area families do. Still, even without all those activities, I'm feeling burned out from everyday life.

OK, I'm meandering a bit in my thoughts... thank you for allowing me to use this space for contemplation. I'd love to hear how others live... do you feel the pressure? How do you slow yourself (and family) down?

...exhale...

Our Days

It's been a quiet, sweet time here. It feels like Spring has set a rhythm to our days that lends itself to lots of wonderful time outside. The boys and I have been working in the yard, preparing it for planting and I'm sure it's not news to anyone that 2 and 3 year olds are excellent at pulling weeds :). I started some seedlings in eggshells this week and it makes me happy to see them whenever I'm on our front porch.

I've been rediscovering my passion for books and reading lately. A frequent stop for us these days has been our library which just happens to be across from Matteo's school. It's such a pretty building, designed by Julia Morgan, very typically Berkeley with arts and crafts architecture. It's so amazing to me that I can look up books online and they'll be ready for me at our local branch within a few days- faster AND cheaper than Amazon! I've just finished Run by Ann Patchett and the Three Junes by Julia Glass, such lovely books. I find such nourishment from reading and the escape to other lives and places.

Aren't these shoes just godawful bright and ugly? Yet, they represent so much hope for me. Hope that I can reclaim my body. Hope that I can make time for myself. I've taken them on a few runs and have been pleasantly surprised that I didn't keel over after a few blocks. I know my body has been doing some important work these past 4 years making babies and all, but darn it, I want it back! I started running with my dad when I was 10 years old and it has always been a way for me to work out problems and relieve stress, as well as helping me keep my weight down. Well, there's more than a bit of weight to come off, but I'm hopeful these ugly shoes will help.


Matteo and Nico have really taken to riding around on their balance bikes. It just seemed like yesterday we were pushing them around the neighborhood on their tricycles. It makes me laugh to see them zipping around the block on these two wheelers without pedals, though there is a twinge of melancholy as I wonder when did these babies of mine turn into such little boys?

The time has been passing so quickly these days, dear friends. What have you been doing to enjoy the Spring?

Play!

"It is a happy talent to know how to play"

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This morning, the boys and I went to the kindergym at the YMCA and Habitot, the local children's museum.

Matteo just rolling along

Despite this expression, Nico loves the ball pit!

The artist, ready to paint something other than his face

The train aficionado, choo-choo'in along

I swear the baby in this picture isn't Luca Bean

...and then this afternoon, some nice quiet play at the farm (and mama rests)

Matteo was very proud to have set this up all by himself

Matteo's new favorite animal figure is the Buntspechte donkey


So many things to do and so many ways to play
all in one day
busy, loud, colourful
...then the peace of coming home

For us, both necessary in their own way and own time

Happy Play!

A Berkeley Saturday Morning

Today marked the return of the Small Tribe to the Berkeley Farmers Market! Between having a baby and the holidays, we stopped going to the farmers market and just went to the grocery store around the corner. But with the gorgeous, almost 70 degree weather today, we shook off our winter blahs and returned to our regular weekend ritual.

One of the glorious things about living here in the Bay Area (aside from Spring- like weather in January) is the availability of fresh, organic food. I've been reading Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food which discusses the importance of eating locally grown, high quality food that has been cooked simply. I'm very much a novice cook and find her message to be compelling and accessible. The book has been inspiring me to eat better for me and our planet. Having the incredible good fortune to live in a city with- count them- THREE (!!!) farmers markets a week, year round and all within walking distance from my home- there's really no excuse for me not to.

I thought I'd share some images of the fresh loveliness from this morning....


This is some chard we bought for dinner













Red cabbages











Organic Rillen Zeml Bread









Carrots, not as sweet this time of year as they are in the late summer when we eat them like candy












Alien Broccoli looking things which we have yet to try, but looked pretty cool to take pictures of

My boys like to play in the park next to the market

Every picture of Nico is an action photo

Matteo at the Wall of Peace

Luca sleeping on me (as usual). It was pretty bright and sunny out, so I covered him with a playsilk :)

We ended our morning with lunch from the Brazil Cafe, a funky shack across from the University that has Bossa Nova music playing from outdoor speakers.

...And here it is, your moment of Zen...

Happy Weekend and Happy Eating!