Entrenched.

Before we had kids, "getting away" meant far away. Like, on a plane. To a beach. With drinks and sand and books and guacamole.

Guacamole is definitely one of my love languages.

When you're in the trenches of parenthood, "getting away" takes on a broader definition. Like a trip to Target alone. Or a root canal.

Seriously. Some days a root canal would honestly be preferable to one more minute in my house with bickering children. At least I'd be alone and the only one screaming.

Nate and I are definitely in the trenches. And it's not fun. Filled with beautiful, joyful, precious moments with our sweet kids that we will surely miss someday? Yes. But fun for us as a couple? Eh. Honestly, right now it's a lot of work just getting from point A to point B every day without biting each other's head off. Turns out when you spend 15 hours a day giving everything you have to your children and job, there is very little left to give your spouse. These days the bulk of our conversation takes place on the couch from 9-10pm and is usually a combination of the following statements:

"Should we water the flowers?" (Yes. Ugh. Be back in a minute.)
"What do you want to watch tonight?" (Arrested Development.)
"Do we have any ice cream?" (Silly question.)
"Will you get up and get it while I switch the laundry?" (Sure.)
"Did you remember to give the dog her pill?" (Yes, Abby. I always do.)
"Don't forget we have to take more diapers to daycare." (Run upstairs for diapers.)
"I'm exhausted, let's go to bed." (Finally.)
"Ugh, the sheets are in the washer. Let's just sleep on the mattress pad." (Too tired to care.)
"Will you let the dog out while I get us some water?" (Sure.)
"ARGHHHH, the outside light is still on!" (I'll go back down.)

Riveting, right? I just can't understand why we're not having more fun!

Thank the good Lord for grandparents. For our anniversary this year, Nate's parents gave us a gift card to a hotel in downtown Minneapolis. It graciously included free childcare, which was a good thing because my feelings on staying in a hotel with small children lie somewhere between "NO" and "HECK TO THE NO."

Saturday morning we shipped our kids off to grandma and grandpa's, traded our minivan for my mother-in-law's convertible, and headed downtown for 24-hours of much-needed fun.

It's amazing what 24 hours can do for a relationship. 

Look, I got dressed and put on makeup! On a weekend!

Hot dogs at the Walker. Enormous.

Cute hubs.

So close.

Game faces. (He beat me by 2 points.)

Amazing.

Sorry, I'm one of those annoying people who take pictures of my food.

Bacon confit. If you insist.

Well-rested and well-fed.

Wind in our my hair.

We may not have gotten away away, but we did get far enough to remember just how happy we are to be in the trenches together.

Initiation.

Thanksgiving with the Breyers is a little like Christmas with the Griswolds. There aren't any RVs parked in the driveway or wild animals loose in the house (unless you count the dog), but this year we had 30 people, four turkeys, five pies, eight dozen oysters, 14 cans of green beans in the casserole, and a first-class bloody mary bar.

That, my friends, has crazy written all over it.

Thanksgiving is THE holiday in Nate's family, and those of us accustomed to the madness love and look forward to it. But this year was Audra's first Thanksgiving, and she was a tad overwhelmed. Our sweet girl is shy and sensitive on a normal day, so plop her in a house full of chaos and sister is on high alert. She spent the entire day tucked safely in our arms, only venturing out of them long enough to briefly examine the toys and scarf down some turkey and green bean casserole.

Thanksgiving was extra special this year as we got to meet Eloise, our first niece and Calvin and Audra's only cousin.* Calvin, we've discovered, LOVES babies. He's always treated Audra with incredible sweetness, but he was totally enamored of Eloise and kept asking to hold her. I can hardly believe my big boy was once the baby of the family!

Uncle Nate got some snuggle time in, too. 

Eloise with her sweet mama, Shannon.

One of the greatest things to come out of my marriage into the Breyer family is the Hall family. The Hall kids grew up with Nate and his brothers, and they have become some of my dearest friends. I love them like family, and their kids are no exception. It makes my heart happy to know that our children will grow up together just like they did. (You may be surprised to learn the one in the middle isn't mine. Look at that hair!)

And another round of Calvin holding Eloise. This time with the addition of Audra. Oh boy. Sorry, baby E.

This looks suspiciously like a first date. Complete with candlelight. I'm not sure Madelyn's dad realized this at the time...

He's shoveling whipped cream in his mouth. With his hand. We've got some work to do when it comes to dating etiquette.

Uncle Eric is a bad influence. Apparently I gave Calvin a terrifying mom look this weekend and my brother-in-law Kris was in the line of fire. He was a little freaked out before he realized the look wasn't meant for him. I'm pretty sure Eric got around ten of those looks (that were absolutely meant for him) right after this picture was taken. No nap + whipped cream for dinner + being flipped around by your uncle for a solid 10 minutes + already being past your bedtime = your mother's head exploding at the thought of what's to come.

What came was a speedy exit as children and parents alike melted down post-dinner and pre-pie. Which is par for the course at any large family gathering, wouldn't you say?

Luckily, we all survived. Eric (and Kris) survived my maternal death stare, Eloise survived Calvin's embrace, I survived the first of three days where my children had too much sugar and not enough sleep and Audra survived her initiation into Breyer family Thanksgiving.

Can't wait for next year. :)

*To date, that is. Our next niece or nephew is due any day now!

Talky Tuesday.

1. You guys. I have some issues when it comes to throwing birthday parties for my kids. BIG ISSUES. Just ask the pile of party stuff sitting in the corner of my office. Amazon loves me. So does Etsy.

The mailman, probably not so much.

2. I made some new Pinterest recipes this weekend. Three were successful. One bombed. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. And I mean that literally. I should probably stop venturing with things that require lots of butter and sweetened condensed milk. Especially since I'm on Weight Watchers.

3. Speaking of Weight Watchers, I have an announcement. I've been working out. Regularly. For over two months.

I'll give you a second to climb back on your chair.

4. Nate and I have decided to paint and redecorate our bedroom. And by Nate and I, I mean I. Nate couldn't care less about the color of our room, but I am tired of brown. I am not a brown kinda gal. (Really, it's not even brown, it's a lovely golden tan color. But, still. Not me.) Still playing around with color palettes in my head, but whatever it is will likely involve a cheerful pop of yellow.

5. I love pops of yellow. In fact, I am lusting after some pops of yellow for myself as we speak. Now, if only I could find a yellow and white striped t-shirt...

6. You know what used to be good, then wasn't, then kind of is again? Grey's Anatomy. I know this because I have been simultaneously watching old and new episodes. I got hooked on reruns while I was on maternity leave, and now I'm re-watching the entire series on my Kindle while I pump at work. There have been some serious highs and lows to that show (read: seasons 4-5), but when it's good it's really good. And even the bad episodes beat staring at a blank wall for 20 minutes every three hours.

7. Keeping a clean house with two kids is a losing battle. Every night after dinner I clean up the kitchen, hand wash what seems like an endless amount of bottles and pump parts and pacifiers, and then walk around the first floor picking stuff up. I don't even know what all this stuff is, but it's everywhere. Cars, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, cups, bowls, papers, shoes, snacks, rattles, socks, blankets, bears, sweatshirts, action figures...arghhhh. I spend so much time picking up my house that I have no time to clean it. So I finally hired someone to come do it for me. But she doesn't start until May 11, which seems like an eternity when you're living with dust bunnies comparable in size to your 50lb dog. So I guess I'll just keep picking stuff up. Or maybe I won't. Maybe I'll just leave it on the floor in an attempt to cover up (or, at the very least, distract from) the dust bunnies.

8. New music obsession: James Morrison. Yum. Good writing music.

9. New food obsession: Honey goat cheese. And Litehouse Pear Gorgonzola salad dressing. Slap both of those things on a pile of spinach, add some walnuts, craisins, and sliced pears, and you've got yourself a darned good salad. You're welcome.

10. New TV obsession: Friday Night Lights. I got a text from Heidi a few weeks ago saying she was obsessed with it (I believe the direct quote was "I really, really want it to be real."). Coincidentally, I had the first disc on hand from Netflix, so Nate and I started watching it that night. It's good. Really good. And I hate football, so when I recommend a show about football you should probably watch it.

11. New restaurant obsession: Butcher and the Boar. We went out last Friday night with the Vuongs and ate ourselves into food comas. All you need to know is this: They have lobster grilled cheese. Oh, and wood grilled oysters. And double cut berkshire pork chops with maple, blueberry and pecan relish. And smoked beef long ribs. And gingersnap banana pudding.

And that's only half of what we ordered. Like I said: food coma.

12. Thankfully, we made a full recovery and I was able to work off about 1/100th of what we ate at the gym the next day.

I do that now, you know.

Heaven in a baking cup.

I follow a lot of food blogs.

A lot a lot.

Which is funny, since I don't like to cook. But maybe not that funny, since I love to eat.

Pinterest has made my food blog followin' ways a lot easier, that's for sure. While I usually have a general sense of where I found stuff online, it helps me keep the recipes I can't not make in one handy little place.

Here's what my "Yum" board looks like on Pinterest:


HELLO GORGEOUS.

I've only made a few of the recipes I've collected so far, but last week I decided to give this one a try: Double chocolate pumpkin cake with pumpkin spice buttercream.

What the what?

I know. You can't not make that, can you?

So I made it. And let me tell you...I licked the crap out of that mixing bowl. Raw eggs and all. I kept saying "I shouldn't be doing this..." as I globbed another spoonful out of the bottom and into my mouth. I probably had an entire cupcake's worth of batter left once I'd filled two muffin pans, but instead of topping them off I chose a path filled with gluttony and irresponsibility.

But...baby's still kicking and I haven't come down with salmonella yet, so I'm guessing things are fine.

Here, my friends, is the must-have recipe of the week. You're welcome.

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
Courtesy of: Picky Palate
Serves: 24 (or 25, depending on how you use that last cupcake's worth)
Prep and cook time: 45 minutes

Cake:
1 box devils food cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
15 ounce can pumpkin (reserve 2 tablespoons)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons reserved pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins with paper cups. Place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, buttermilk, eggs, sour cream and can of pumpkin, and chocolate chips in a bowl or stand mixer, and mix until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly into cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

While cakes are baking prepare the buttercream. Place butter, reserved 2 tablespoons pumpkin and cinnamon into stand or electric mixer. Mix on high until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar until thick and creamy. Slowly add the milk until buttercream is a nice consistency. Frost over cooled cakes, slice and serve.

Things I love Thursday [Food Edition]

I don't know what it is about Thursdays and blog lists, but it's about all I can muster by this point in the week. And given my current state the only thing on my mind is food, so it seemed a logical topic. Really, you should just be thankful for whatever I throw together because I know you're all sitting at work bored out of your skulls just waiting for something new to read.

Oh, that's just me? Okay then. Congrats on being a better employee than I am. Or, if you don't work, congrats on having a better life than I do.

1. Trader Joe's Roasted Gorgonzola Crackers. They don't even need cheese. Or dip. And that's saying something from a girl who rarely lifts a cracker to her mouth without some additional motivation. Chicken in a Biskit also fall into this category.

2. Decaf vanilla coolers from Caribou Coffee. From the drive-thru, preferably. Who wants to actually take the time to get out of their car in the morning?

3. McDonald's sweet tea. One dollar any size for a limited time only. Do it.

4. Everything at Brasa. Seriously, everything. Nate and I went there for the first time in a long time on Tuesday night and it was so ridiculously good. I know there are probably only two people who read this blog and live in the Twin Cities, so I'm very sorry to the rest of you. Except for those of you who live in the south and can get slow roasted pork and red beans and rice and cheesy grits and cornbread and homemade macaroni and cheese whenever you want. Holy heck I live in the wrong part of the country. Sure, Minnesota has tater tot hotdish,* but...yeah, I can't even get through that with a straight face. I mean, tater tot hotdish? This place is so weird.

5. Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf. Cheddar cheese, pickles, thick slices of bacon on top. It's the best meatloaf in the world. And I should know, having tried them all. I'm one of those weird people who really likes meatloaf. Maybe because I really like onions. Nate hates meatloaf because of the onions...which is how we ended up having bacon cheeseburger meatloaf at our house. Onion free. Or maybe just onion light. Who knows, I don't cook, I just eat.

6. Guacamole. No specific recipe in particular, I just had a mad craving for guacamole last night around 10pm while I was watching the end of So You Think You Can Dance and was really disappointed to find we didn't have any. Not that guacamole is the sort of thing anyone just has in the fridge. It usually requires some thought and preparation. I had a bowl of Berry Kix instead. Not the same, not the same at all.

7. Diet coke. Yep, I know. Don't care. It's delicious and I love it and I'm sure my baby will be just fine if a tad hyperactive. And if he/she is not fine, well then you can go ahead and kick me when I'm down. But bring a Diet Coke because after you do I'll probably be thirsty. Also, my mom smoked** when I was in utero and look how well I turned out!

8. String cheese. For kids, or for adults? Hard to say. But I think we can all agree on it being delicious and convenient! Except for Nate, who thinks it "tastes like nothing" yet still eats it.

9. This blueberry pie recipe which I am going to make soon, while blueberries are 2/$4. I haven't actually tasted this pie yet, but I am 100% certain pie crust + blueberries + CREAM CHEESE LAYER = something I love.

10. B.T. McElrath's Salty Dog chocolate bar. It's chocolate...covered in salt. There's nothing more to say.

And, I'm done. Not because I'm out of things to list, but because it's lunchtime and I'm starving and suddenly I want pizza.

11. Pizza. Yum.

*A hotdish is a casserole, for those of you not from Minnesota, aka everyone else on the planet. Also, if you come here with preschoolers, be prepared to play "Duck Duck Gray Duck" instead of "Duck Duck Goose." Yes, I know. I'm raising my children here. Wish me luck.

**Different times, they didn't know then what they know now...yada yada. Look for a similar statement from me down the road when my kids point out how I ate lunchmeat and drank Diet Coke while pregnant.

Fabulous finds.

1. Yesterday I bought the greatest invention known to (wo)man: A pair of reversible Spanx tights. Yes, that's right. Reversible. Black on one side, brown on the other, with a control top that doesn't dig into your waist. I read about them in some magazine and decided they must be mine, since I love to wear skirts in the winter but hate the cheap tights offered places like Target. I mean, why buy two cheap pairs of tights — one black, one brown — when you can buy one expensive pair that serves both purposes, is better quality, and sucks in your flab?

2. My beloved Boden has done it again. Look at this. And this. And oh my — this (I want that entire outfit). And then look at this. EEEEEE! Hopefully they'll expand the line a bit before I'm pregnant again, but I am loving the ruffle front and maxi dresses. Between Boden and Hot Mama (my go-to the last go-round), I might just break the bank next time I'm in the market for maternity wear. Which is not right now, in case anyone's wondering.

3. Inspired by all those fashion bloggers I follow, last night I decided to shop my own closet. I have an event tonight and I am so sick and tired of everything I own. I think that might be the result of two things: One, I put on a few pounds over the holidays and it's too cold to go anywhere or do anything active (plus there's that whole "tied to the house because I have a kid" thing), so I feel like a bucket of lard. Two, I wear the same stuff over and over again in the same ways. I have my go-to pieces, I style them the way I like them the first time, and then I just keep repeating that look over and over again. It's no wonder I get bored so quickly. So last night I decided to challenge myself a bit, and I came up with a cute twist on an old favorite:

Black and white tweed knee-length skirt
Black ruffle neck tank, tucked in (whoa)
Wide black belt at the waistline
Red cropped cardigan with pleated details and black/gold buttons
Black tights and black patent leather heels
Big gold hoops

It's not like I'm wearing a crazy outfit, it's just...put together. With this skirt I'd typically throw on a black turtleneck and tall boots and call it good. But this twist is bright and detailed and a little sassy. This morning I actually felt kind of cute for a change, and my feelings were confirmed when I came downstairs and Nate said "you look really cute!" So now I'm feeling inspired to try and branch out a bit more with what I already have. Don't worry, though, I'm not about to start posting pictures.

4. The biggest pants-related trend for spring? Wide leg jeans. HALLELUJAH! I've come to a place of acceptance with skinny jeans, even purchasing a pair of my own (though I continue to wear them with trepidation and a bit of fear), but fact is: there's no better look for a girl with hips than a pair of wide leg jeans.

5. Last but not least (and off the topic of clothing and onto my other favorite topic, food): I'm certainly not going to get any skinner making things like this (and who cares anyway, I have magic tights and wide leg jeans!), but don't you think this cake would be super cute for Calvin's second birthday party? Or, you know, Wednesday?

On a stick.

Oddly, we had not one thing on a stick last night during our visit to the Great Minnesota Get-Together. I'm pretty sure that's Minnesota State Fair sacrilege, but I'm going to assume we made up for it in caloric intake.

Blessed cheese curds, a state-fair-only indulgence:


Honey and sunflower seed ice cream:


Nate's beloved turkey sandwich, a must-have:


And mini donuts, the only thing (besides ice cream) Calvin liked:


"Uh, mom? I know you're trying to take a picture with me, but say - you got any more of those small donuts in here?"


"What if I give you a totally pathetic look and begin frantically signing 'more'?"


As they say, "Donuts: It's best for dinner." So he had five.


Nate, Abby, Abby's ever-present bra strap. Classin' it up, state fair style.


Monday night, people. Who knew? Easy to park, plenty of room to walk. It was perfection.


Calvin showing us what a dog does during the police dog demonstration.


A tired, happy, overly-fed Minnesota family.

Farmers' Market Finds.

I'm not the least bit crunchy. In fact, I'd say I'm a bit soggy. I don't usually buy organic, I still run the water while I brush my teeth (I know, I know), and I almost always forget my reusable bags when I go to Target. Last night my friend Ben was talking about the raw milk movement, and my response was: "Huh? What the heck is that?!" And Nate, with a snicker, replied "Is that when you go from nursing your baby to putting them directly on the cow?" (I love my husband. And that's actually not far from the truth.)

So, yeah. We're soggy. But I do care about what we eat, and although my love affair with McDonald's is well-documented on this blog, occasionally I try to drive past the drive-thru. Plus I have a total fruit monster on my hands (my formerly adventurous eater has decided it's going to be all fruit, all the time or NOTHING), so we have upped our produce intake quite a bit. Which is why the Saint Paul Farmers' Market is where we'll be most Saturday mornings this summer.

We've always loved the market, which is downtown and very convenient for us. Personally, I find the quieter (yet still plenty busy) Saint Paul market to be much more enjoyable than the chaotic Minneapolis one — plus, the SPFM requires all the sellers to be local. Everything you purchase has been grown/baked/created within a small radius of the city. I may not be the greenest girl out there, but I do like to support local businesses as much as possible (which is easy to do here in the Twin Cities).

So, Saturday morning we headed over there, and everything was just...awesome. Strawberries, onions, snap peas and rhubarb galore, tons of fresh herbs, and lots of cut and plantable flowers. We picked up some strawberries for the fruit monster, some basil and mint for us, and some snap peas, which we tried to get Calvin to eat — he's still doing this with peas, though. I also got some fresh flowers for my dining room table, and some crazy good turtles from some guy selling chocolate.

Turns out it's easy to eat well when you have bowls of gorgeous, locally-grown produce sitting in your kitchen. Who knows, maybe I'll get a little crunchier and become part of the raw milk movement.

Or, more likely (much, much more likely), just turn off the water while I brush.

The real reason.

Yeah, true love, yada yada. The real reason I married Nate?


































Whenever he's home, I sit down to food like this. Which is a far cry from the food he "sits down" to (please refer back to this).

Last night he made Thomas Keller's buttermilk fried chicken from Ad Hoc at Home and it was to die for. Conveniently, the link includes the chicken recipe. So if you, unlike me, enjoy cooking, you can make it. Which you should.

Or, as an alternative, you can fly to California and eat at the restaurant that inspired the cookbook, which is probably my favorite place to eat ever. You may not get fried chicken (the menu is set and changes daily) but I promise whatever you get will be fabulous.

Recipe for the perfect weekend.

Takeout from Holy Land (the sheik's dinner for two, which is more like dinner for 20) + my husband making me cry by giving me four place settings of our wedding china (completing my beloved set) + renting The Blind Side + getting to sleep in until an unprecedented 7:50am + morning trip to the farmer's market as a family + dropping Calvin off for a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house + gift certificate from Nate's parents to our favorite B&B + afternoon matinee of Date Night + incredible dinner at Bar La Grassa + finding out my parents had taken care of the bill for incredible dinner at Bar La Grassa + cheesecake and coffee at Cafe Latte + staying out past 10pm on a Saturday night + sleeping in on Sunday morning + leisurely breakfast and newspaper reading at Bread & Chocolate + picking up our adorable baby from Grandma and Grandpa's + grilling bacon wrapped asparagus and cheese stuffed chicken breasts from Brine's for dinner + eating Nate's homemade strawberry rhubarb crisp + laundry done + kitchen clean + bed at a reasonable time = a very good way to celebrate five years of marriage.

Melon.

It's been unseasonably warm here lately. Spring in Minnesota is usually blustery, rainy, and about 55 degrees. But this weekend it was mild, sunny, and in the upper 60s. So, we did what any foolish Minnesota family would: cracked out the patio furniture and flip flops.

We are, of course, tempting Mother Nature and will probably pay for that with six more inches of snow in the next month. Until then, we're going to enjoy living in our backyard.

Saturday night we had our first dinner outside — burgers on the grill, potato salad, and watermelon.

I think Nate and I might rue the day we introduced our child to this piece of fruit.

The kid went nuts. First we cut a piece into chunks for him, and he was grabbing fistfuls and shoving them into his mouth going "mmm! mmmm!" So then I figured we may as well give him a whole piece. He sucked the living daylights out of that thing and then chewed it all the way down to the rind. And then chewed on the rind. And then got really mad when I took the rind away. I'm pretty sure we could have handed him the whole dang melon and he would have put it away, rind and all, in about 15 minutes.

Last night we grilled beef and vegetable kebabs. He took about two bites of everything and started throwing a fit. So, we gave him another piece of watermelon. And then another. And then I ate the last piece instead of giving it to him because, really — shouldn't the people who pay for the watermelon get to have some?

At least he's acting this way over fruit and not french fries. I'm in no hurry to introduce those, because — as we all know — french fries are WAY better than watermelon.

Fish and mushrooms.

I'm pretty sure those are two things a lot of grownups have trouble eating, never mind a kid who refuses to touch anything green.

Yet, Calvin ate both yesterday. Although ate seems like an understatement for the fervor with which he shoveled both into his mouth. Scarfed might be a more appropriate term.

So, whew. Another successful food introduction.

I think the key might be including him in the cooking process. Which, when Nate makes dinner, looks something like this:


















Whereas, when I make dinner, it looks something like this:














Come to think of it, I had no problems getting him to eat Chicken McNuggets. We might be on to something...