Between the Moments

I still can’t quite figure out the purpose of this blog. I mean, I know it’s my place to post things that I’m doing and whatever is going on, but most of the big things that happen are Audrey-related and are posted at Road of Miracles. I intend to start blogging (publicly, that is) about my pregnancy at RoM, too, but want to wait until next week to start that. I have my 12 week ultrasound and it marks the end of the first trimester, so that seems like a good milestone.

What does that leave for this place, then? Maybe when I make my weekly menu and grocery list, I can keep track of that here. I tried keeping track of it on paper for awhile but having it in digital form with tags would be easier. And, should something ever arise that isn’t necessarily RoM material, I’ll put it here.

Coming in mid-August!

2000: Graduated high school in the spring. Planned to go to Arizona State but changed my mind and moved to an apartment by myself in Seattle in the fall instead. Started classes at SCCC. Got depressed and moved back home in December.

2001: Lived at home and worked on my AA through online classes at SCCC. Worked part time for the school district. Spent most of my free time in Seattle and Portland. Finished my AA online in December.

2002: Moved to a dorm at WWU in January and then went to Akiva’s TRON party a few days later. Split my time between WWU and Akiva’s apartment until June, when I moved back home. Moved to my parents’ lake house for the summer. Went to Phoenix Festival in July. Broke up with Akiva in August. Started classes at WWU’s Everett campus fall quarter. Moved to my own apartment in Everett in September. Got a cat. Went to Reno. Got back together with Akiva.

2003: Continued classes at WWU. Had an internship at Catholic Community Services and another at Bethany. Started working at Compass Health. Moved to a different apartment in the same building in May. Went to Phoenix Festival in July. Bought a condo in October and moved there. Got another cat.

2004: Quit my job at Compass and started working (and not just interning) at Bethany. Went to Las Vegas. Went to San Francisco. Went to Phoenix Festival in July. Graduated from WWU in August. Started considering selling my condo and moving to Seattle. Quit my job at Bethany in December. Went to Texas for Christmas.

2005: Found a cute house to rent and moved there with Akiva in January. Started working at Bessie Burton in January. Went to Phoenix Festival in July. Went to Leavenworth in August.

2006: Got engaged in April. Went to LA in May. Went to Leavenworth in August. Quit Bessie Burton in November and started working for the city as an SSA. Went to Texas for Christmas.

2007: Got a nasty ankle infection in April. Got an iPhone. Went to Leavenworth in August. Got married in September. Went to Mexico for our honeymoon.

2008: Promoted from SSA to CM in April. Got pregnant in May. Joined FriendFeed sometime around July. Went to Leavenworth in August. Went to Whistler in September. Started maternity leave in December.

2009: Audrey was born in January. Had my gall bladder removed in February. Officially quit my job in March. Went to Texas at the end of March. Started doula training in June.

The menu for the first night is inspired by some British and Australian friends:

Vegetarian Lentil and Red Pepper Loaf
Yorkshire Puddings
Onion Gravy
Mrs. Cubbison’s Stuffing
Australian Potato Scallops
Raspberry Sufganiyot

The menu for the last night is more in line with a traditional Hanukkah dinner:

Mustard Maple Salmon (made with salmon caught by the F/V Incentive on The Deadliest Catch)
Potato Latkes (served with sour cream and homemade Pacific Rose applesauce)
Green Peas in Thyme Butter
Choux Fritters (currently working on a recipe for filling for them, made of silken tofu)

Monday: Baked potatoes (toppings include butter, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, diced onion, fresh diced chives, Mexican sour cream, soy bacon bits, TVP taco “meat”)

Tuesday: Tuna cakes with dill tartar sauce, cheddar biscuits

Wednesday: Red kidney bean soup with lime yogurt

Thursday: Salmon burgers

Friday: It’s Hanukkah! I’ll be making a separate post about the Hanukkah menu.

Today is my birthday!

Here is the recipe for the squash I’m making for Thanksgiving.

Quinoa and Zucchini Stuffed Acorn Squash

(This recipe is adapted from The Healthy Kitchen by Dr. Andrew Weil and Rosey Daley)

½ cup quinoa
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup vegetarian chicken stock
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium peeled and grated zucchini
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon ground curry
1 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 acorn squashes
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Acorn squash: Puncture the surface of the squash 4 times with a knife, making sure that the stabs are spaced apart. Cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a big spoon and discard them. Lay the squash, cavity-side-down, in a baking pan. Add water to the baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is easily punctured with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow the squash to cool in the pan. Leave the liquid from the squash in the pan, turn the cooled squash over, cavity side up.

Quinoa and zucchini stuffing: In a small saucepan, toss the quinoa in 1 T of olive oil, stir, pour in the stock, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat. Pour 1 T olive oil into a nonstick pan and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the zucchini, basil, curry, paprika, and lemon juice. Saute for another 3 minutes over medium heat. Scoop the quinoa into the saute pan and mix thoroughly until it is blended. Saute with the vegetables to create an aromatic stuffing. Remove from heat.

Scoop the stuffing into the acorn squash. Combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl and then sprinkle on top of the squash. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

I’m clearly a failure at NaBloPoMo. Sigh.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Although I don’t eat turkey and we don’t have a large family that we gather with, it’s still one of my favorite holidays. Akiva, Audrey, and I are going to my parents’ house to watch football, hang out, and eat dinner. My brother will be there, too. My mom is making a turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and rolls. Akiva is making mashed potatoes. I’m making a Jell-O salad and squash. Later in the evening, some family friends are coming over for dessert. We’ll then head home eventually because I must get some rest before BLACK FRIDAY.

This will be my first year to “do” Black Friday. I feel it is my responsibility as a mother now to contribute my time and cash money to American consumerism. I’m not going to be too hardcore, though. I’m not camping out in front of any stores and I don’t have any “hot items” on my list that I’m going to punch someone over. I’ll probably head out at about 5:30 in the morning and, depending on how energetic I’m feeling, hit two or three different stores. I promise not to come home with a black eye.

I’m not very good at this blogging thing. It’s odd because I used to post to LiveJournal multiple times a day but over the last few years, that greatly decreased and since moving over here, it’s become even less frequent.

For dinner tonight, I made a Mexican casserole with layers of corn tortilla, black beans, diced tomato, corn, cheese, and green onion. Over the top was poured a mixture of buttermilk, egg, and green chilies. I haven’t baked it yet but it looks good so far. It will be topped with green salsa and sour cream.

I had a meeting this morning with a potential doula client. They were a really nice couple who live nearby and will be having their first baby. They’re interviewing other doulas so there’s no guarantee that they’ll hire me but it was still nice to chat with them about birth and babies. Plus, we met at Starbucks so I was rewarded with a delicious pumpkin spice latte.

I’m trying to do as much holiday gift shopping and preparation as early as possible this year. Even though we’re Jewish, I love Christmas trees so we will always have one. The tree I’ve been using for years was my grandmother’s and is probably 15 years old (or older). It’s in desperate need of replacement so I ordered three smaller trees. They are three, four, and five feet tall. I’m going to group them together and have a “winter holiday forest” rather than a single decorated tree.

And now, a milk pitcher:

Audrey and I went to PCC today and for a drive around the neighborhood in a (failed) attempt to get her to take an afternoon nap. When we got home, there was a car parked blocking our driveway. I park on the street but Akiva parks in the driveway so he was blocked in. I called the police to report it and they said they would send an officer out to ticket the car and have it towed.

Before the police arrived, the owner of the car came out of a house across the street. I went outside and pointed out that she was blocking our driveway. She first said she had only been parked there for “a few minutes” (it had been about an hour). She then said she hadn’t noticed a driveway. When I pointed out that it was obviously a driveway and that there was an entire nearly empty block she could have parked on, she changed her story and said that she thought the driveway was “inactive”. I pointed out that Akiva’s car was right there in the driveway and she wasn’t left with much other than, “Uh, well, sorry?”

I told her that I’d called the police and given them her license plate number and car description so they might be contacting her. They won’t, I’m sure, but hopefully that scared her a little.

Is it too much to ask for a little consideration of others when parking? Take a look around and see if you’re blocking anything. This goes for people who park on the white line in parking lots, too. Do you know how hard it is for me to get a baby and a carseat in and out of my car if your car is parked on the white line? Taking up two parking spaces is equally uncool. Please take an extra moment and have a little consideration for other people!