Melissa Coleman's Blog, page 3

Cabin Interior Mood Boards

I haven’t been posting much lately, but I’ve been working like crazy, at a pace that’s not sustainable, into the night and on into the weekends. Designing a cabin and building a new tiny company (a cabin rental) sounds so simple and easy when you tuck it into a sentence like so. But it’s taken every last resource to pull off something like this during a pandemic, with a baby, school at home for most of that time, plus a postpartum mushy brain. I keep saying, “We did it, we’re doing it!” I even said it while talking to the bank last week. That was awkward. I’m not sure if I’m willing it to happen or looking for something to celebrate. Probably a little bit of both. So in the spirit of celebrating, I’d love to show you what I’ve been working on—the cabin interior mood boards. To read more about the what and the why of The Minne Stuga, head this way. (Note: I’ve often sounded like the antagonist in Thomas the Tank Engine, saying things like “I think I can’t.” It’s not all roses over here.)

Before we get to my hobbled together photoshop renderings, let’s talk overall aesthetic. In true style, I’ve pulled from a mix of styles to design the cabin, from mid-century modern to eclectic vintage to art deco. Oof, we have a little bit of everything. Style aside, I wanted this cabin to feel like the warmest hug, like an old library, like something special yet familiar. So I grabbed for rich tones and natural textures that would also honor and accentuate the great outdoors and the cedar walls. The walls that we aren’t painting.

When I set out to make something—from a room to a recipe, I make a quick list of parameters to create within so I know how to create.  The first rule for this project: Don’t paint the perfect cedar. That proved to be harder to design around than I anticipated, but we did it! We’re doing it. There I go again. 

Living Room

The Minne Stuga is one part A-frame, one part cabin/chalet. The living room sits in the lake facing A-frame, which you can’t appreciate from these renderings focused on the interior finishes. You might remember the wall-to-wall bright green carpet that once flanked this room. (See here.) We’ve pulled it up to add end grain wood flooring from Kaswell. It looks like tile in shape with the classic warmth of wood. We’re going dark with it to set the walls and the floors apart from each other.

This room is studded with nooks, six to be exact. Four will be converted to cozy reading nooks, a place to get lost in a book on a tweedy comfy cushion with a sconce to flip on when it gets dark. One will turn into shelving for a mini library. And the other will house wood for the original wood-burning fireplace. 

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We’re partnering with Room & Board, a Minnesota-based company, to furnish this room with super durable yet beautiful furniture. (We love them as seen in our backyard.) One of my favorite things about Room & Board is the ability to chose from a huge bank of fabrics for a custom look. For the cabin, we went with their contract-grade fabrics which tend to be a more durable grade of fabric for high-use spaces. Perfect for a rental. I’ll share more about the exact furniture and fabrics when the room is completed. Stay tuned!

Dining Room

Traditional A-frames are typically one big open triangular room with multiple “rooms” within. As mentioned, this cabin is a mix of both, with the dining room sitting in the cabin section of the structure. The straight walls allow for a big window that looks out to the woods. What isn’t big though is this room, so we went with a round tulip table for maximum seating and vintage chairs to keep things from feeling too new. We’re also sneaking in some extra seating by adding a space for stools in the neighboring kitchen to the left.

Kitchen

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Ah, the kitchen. I wanted this room to feel extra special. To lure you (and me) in to try that long-winded recipe always sitting on the backburner at home. We’re doing the most work to this room, taking it down to the studs and even bumping it out slightly for a view of the lake through the dense evergreens. With almost everything new, I wanted to somehow make this room feel like it’s always been there.

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So we’re adding the cedar paneling back in and only using lower cabinets. Some cabinets will have open shelving to keep things from looking too refined, storing things like baking sheets and pots and pans. Open upper shelving on the other side of the kitchen will be used to display pretty enamelware and bowls that make a cabin feel like a cabin. 

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To stay on budget, we’re using Ikea cabinets with painted Semihandmade fronts and walnut wood pulls to keep the wood tones bouncing around. We’re also adding in some paneling to divide up the cabinets and create a notched-out toe kick for a custom-ish look. The floors will be an old-school checkerboard linoleum. 

Downstairs Bedroom

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For the bedrooms, we wanted them to feel like a cross between a cabin and a hotel, with crisp bright white clean sheets paired with eclectic cozy vibes. To dampen and absorb noise while adding a pop of pattern, we added carpet to this bedroom and all throughout the upstairs. Can you have too much tweedy herringbone? I hope not. We’re also partnering with Room & Board on this room. All bedding and mattresses are provided in partnership with Tuft & Needle, what we sleep on at home. And Minnesota-made Faribault wool blankets will wrap each bed in a cozy hug. 

Downstairs Bathroom

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“Kev, what if we make this bathroom look like an upscale camping bathroom? With a stall-like shower.” It wasn’t his favorite idea but he let me do it. (And I think he loves it.) Can you spot the shower off to the left? I knew I was done designing when he said it was starting to look like a small-town bar. Yes, that. In this bathroom, we’re working with Minnesota-made Mercury Mosaics tile. The original bathroom had craftsman-style tile, which is an arrangement of gridded square tiles varying in size. We’re using the same style here with an updated application of all matte black. It’s going to look sharp while nodding to the original design.  

Loft

The loft sits upstairs at the top of the A-frame with a full view of the lake and a full view of the woods. It’s so much brighter up there with the addition of the Marvin Skycove, a glass nook, the Marvin Awaken Skylights, and the Marvin A-frame windows, another Minnesota-made partnership. This rendering doesn’t begin to do it justice. We imagine this room will be used to play games or chat or watch a movie on the projector. Speaking of, we’re on the hunt for the best floor pillows. Do you have any recommendations?  

Upstairs Bedroom

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The upstairs bedroom sits at the peak of the A-frame, away from the lake. When we originally saw this room, we thought it would be cool to glass the entire triangle. However, due to code, you need an operable escape window in every bedroom. So instead, we went with a big operable square window. For prime tree viewing, we’re placing the bed on the angled wall. I know, a little unconventional. We found a bed with a wide frame to help to create a faux wall and anchor the asymmetry.

Upstairs Bathroom

Like the downstairs bathroom, we’re using Mercury Mosaics tile on the floors and in the shower. I’m playing with color a bit in here, using two different shades of green. By the time I’m done with the cabin, we’ll have 50 shades of green without all the steam, unless you’re standing in the bathroom. We’re adding in a shelf for Dopp kits and toiletries too. 

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The basement (not pictured) is still a work in progress. We’re adding in a last-minute bunkroom and Kev is on the hunt for a recreation table. Foosball anyone? Thanks for tuning in to this cedar-clad labor of love. We’re so close to wrapping up construction, and we can’t wait to share The Minne Stuga with you! 

To read more about The Minne Stuga:Check out our website (PS: there are a couple more fall dates available for rent)Take a tour of the beforeSee the exterior plansFollow The Minne Stuga on Instagram

The post Cabin Interior Mood Boards appeared first on The Faux Martha.

Cabin Exterior Restoration Plans

There are tick marks on the wall in our painted black bathroom made from chalked lines and scribbled dates, memorializing the passing of time and the changing of heights. We measured Hal on that wall, thinking it had been a while. It had. Three inches of growth, yet no mention of 2020 on the wall. Everything stopped last year, from the chalk lines to The Minne Stuga cabin, a special project that we announced almost exactly a year ago, a project we thought we were just about to begin. And then the pandemic hit. With job cutbacks at Kev’s work and a maternity leave for me, unpaid because I work for myself, we weren’t sure we were going to be able to pull off this little cedar-clad getaway, for you and for me.

I’ll spare you the yo-yo of details between then and now, but construction has started! Someone knock on cedar—The Minne Stuga is actually happening. And a lot has happened. So let’s play catch-up and start with the cabin exterior restoration plans.

But first, if you’re asking yourself What in the world is The Minne Stuga?, check out this post for a detailed post on the why, the what, and all the fun before pictures. 

Cabin Exterior Restoration Plans

What are we doing to the cabin? It’s a question we’ve thought long and hard about—what do we do and what do we purposefully not do. Our goal is to preserve as much as possible, the essence and the aesthetic. This cabin is beautiful just the way she is. And yet, she’s 50 years old and 50-year-old structures need fixing, like the cute mossy cedar roof that isn’t as cute once you realize it’s rotting. And once you start repairing one thing, it’s hard to know where to start and stop without looking like starting and stopping. So long story short, we have plans to both preserve and update, to restore and change, to honor and put our spin on this place.

Here’s the to-do list for the cabin exterior:Replace the windowsReplace the roofReplace the sidingReplace the very unsafe deckingCabin Windows

The windows! Oh the windows. The cabin is a chalet-frame (a non-technical term). It’s one part chalet and 2 parts a-frame with plenty of prime window space. The lake-facing windows currently have an aged fog to them making it hard to see out of. There are also some gaps between the windows and the framing, allowing the great outdoors in. Don’t worry, we’re still bringing the great outdoors in by way of new big screens (windows) to frame the pine and poplar trees. No plug or remote required.

We have and love Marvin Windows at our house, which we chose for their extreme durability in cold temperatures and beautiful design, so we knocked on their door (and windows) to partner on the cabin. We’re grateful they said yes. Best of all, they’re made right here in our backyard. Ok, maybe the best best of all, they also recently launched two products that we are fortunate enough to feature in the cabin. The first is the Skycove, a window box that protrudes from the side of the wall of your home (or cabin) with a window seat that is completely surrounded by glass(!!!). Can you picture yourself reading up there on a snowy afternoon?

The second is their Awaken Skylight, which features an operable window to allow for temperature control and airflow into the cabin, retractable screen, and LED lighting that allows you to create the presence of daylight regardless of how dark it is outside, which is great for those dark mornings and early nights this far from the equator.

Look at that Skycove going in! Notice anything missing? We took out part of the roof overhang for a full view of the lake.

Cabin Roof

The original cedar shake roof is mossy (see below) and quaint and looks as if it’s been plucked from the shire with its long, leggy overhang. But, it’s rotting and needs replacing. We toyed around with a new cedar roof, knowing it would last a lot of years. (The current one is 50 years old.) But cedar shake changes colors as it ages. Brand new, the fresh cut wood is a light caramel brown that silvers out as the years pass.

We wanted to control the color of the roof, since it takes up so much real estate on the structure and because our siding will silver out (more on that below). Two things silvering out at the same time felt like a visual gamble. And then I found Brava Roof Tile (pictured above), a composite cedar shake made from recycled, plastic materials. It’s super durable, low maintenance (more like no-maintenance), and looks like true spilt cedar shake. We’re grateful to be partnering with Brave as well.

The shake comes in a lot of natural-looking colors. We’re going with weathered (see above). I felt extra good about our decision after seeing Chris Loves Julia using it too, same color. It’s stunning. The weathered colorway looks as though it’s been, well, weathered while also maintaining its dark tone forever. The new beanie, as Kev calls it, should be going on in the next couple weeks.

Cabin Siding

When we bought the cabin, we were pretty sure we could keep the siding as is. We thought the same thing of the windows, which appeared to be in great shape, but upon closer inspection, both would need replacing immediately to the next couple of years in order to preserve the structure. So, we’re getting it over with and doing it all at the same time, adding some much-needed insulation that the 70s didn’t have to offer while we’re at it.

The top half of the picture is our current siding and the bottom half is a picture of the new siding, Kebony Character, which is a modified wood that goes through a process that makes this traditionally soft wood, hard, sturdy, durable, and super beautiful. As you can see, it’s visually similar to the current cabin siding. The new wood starts out a warm cocoa brown and patinas towards silver, much like my hair is doing. So if you stay in the cabin this year, she’ll look young and brown. But, after the sun and elements give her a hug, she’ll silver out without comprising the durability of the wood. You can learn more about their modification process, developed in Norway, here. Kebony came highly recommended to us by our contractor Anton of Taiga Design.

Looky there! The siding is off and ready for a new sweater. Are you tired of my Minnesota jokes yet?

Here’s a rough rendering of the siding, roof, and XL windows. We keep going back and forth between vertical or horizontal siding. What do you think?

Cabin Decking

The decking will also be done in Kebony Character. “Character” describes the knots in the wood, as opposed to their clear boards without knots. We’ll be replacing the very rickety deck off the back, towards the lake, as well as extending the entryway deck in order to add an outdoor eating area. Additional decking will also pave a path towards the lake, making little landings as you travel down to the water. 

I can’t wait to share more of this slice of heaven, online and in person, with you soon!

Photography by Jonathan Head. We are grateful to be partnering with Marvin, Kebony, and Brava, all companies we reached out to, to restore The Minne Stuga to her original essence.

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Healthyish Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

A pack of muffin liners and permanently lemon-laced taste buds and a can of baking powder later, I think I’ve finally perfected these healthyish lemon poppy seed muffins that take me back to Saturday mornings and oversized t-shirts and freckled noses and boxed muffin mix. Mini lemon poppy seed muffins were our favorite growing up. These aren’t so mini, but I’ve made sure they’re composed of all of my favorite parts of those muffins—tender yet dense, bright in flavor, good out of the oven, and even better the next day. 

I wasn’t joking when I said I went through a whole pack of muffin liners. This recipe took forever to test. You see, I have a base muffin recipe that I love (as seen in The Minimalist Kitchen). It’s simple and comes together as quick as a craving hits, made with melted butter and pantry staples, things I always keep stocked.

Typically, I make said muffins with frozen fruit. The addition of those frozen morsels helps the muffins to rise and dome nicely in the oven and stay tender and moist outside of the oven. I had no idea dropping the fruit would change everything. Well, it did. After adding an extra 2 tablespoons of milk and testing every baking temperature and reducing the yogurt amount, we have a winner. My neighbor agrees. (I had to have unadulterated tastebuds confirm this finding.)

What makes these muffins healthy?

First off, I don’t like using words like healthy or healthier or healthyish because they mean something different to everyone. But after discussing muffin philosophies with Kev, I had to say it out loud so that you’d know what kind of lemon poppy seed muffin this is. When Kev eats a muffin, he wants it to be decadent and only eaten on special occasions. Basically, he wants cake. I can’t handle that much sugar early in the morning without feeling ill. For that reason, I want a muffin you could eat any day. Not too sweet, just right. Made with wheat, maple syrup, and whole milk yogurt. Healthyish. 

So to start, I kept the sugar low, using a mix of cane sugar and maple syrup. The maple warms up the flavor while also helping to keep your blood sugar from spiking. The sweet crumble on top performs a bit of magic as it helps to enhance overall sweetness levels without greatly increasing sugar levels. When making baked goods, there’s a fine sugar line. Too little will leave you with a dry muffin. How low can you go? I think this is it. 

The addition of the lemon zest also helps to embolden the sweetness levels. That plus a secret ingredient I landed on after watching Kev work on his all-natural candle scent experiment. (We have dreams of having homemade candles in The Minne Stuga.) It goes like this: paring a citrus scent with a warm scent, yields a harmonious, robust aroma. So I added a splash of almond extract into these citrusy muffins to round out the bright lemon flavor perfectly. It makes no scents, see what I did there, but just trust me.

How do you make a muffin top rise?

Before I turn you loose on these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, let’s talk muffin tops. When I make muffins, I really want a muffin top. It’s a bit ridiculous the lengths I’ll go. But because of that, I have some muffin top training. Here are a couple of things to try:

Bump up your baking powder levels. This recipe has a generous 2 teaspoons, which is a teaspoon shy of a tablespoon. Shy away from adding extra baking soda to a muffin recipe as it will increase browning and add an overly salty flavor. Increase your temperature. I like to bake muffins at 400°F or above. For these lemon poppyseed muffins, I started the oven even hotter, at 425°F, and baked for 8 minutes before turning down the temperature to 375°F to finish. Without frozen berries producing steam and helping the muffin to rise, these muffins needed extra help with heat. This allowed them to dome up right away and finish baking at a lower temperature to keep from drying out. Don’t over mix. Let the batter do some work in the oven to fight and climb. An over-mixed batter will over-develop the gluten, yielding a dense, tough, low muffin. Fill your cavity almost to the top. See image above. This works best for thicker batters. Thinner batters need a longer bake time at a lower temperature, meaning they may spill over using this methodology.You can have too much muffin top. I can’t believe I’m saying this either. Taller muffin tops take longer to rise, creating the potential to over-bake the part of the muffin that sits in the tin. That was true of this muffin recipe. In general, there’s a balance between heat, sugar levels, and batter density to create muffin tops. This is especially delicate when you’re trying to pull off a lower sugar muffin. You can’t fall back on the sugar to add moisture back into the muffin post bake. For that reason, I settled on a lower muffin top for this recipe, but a muffin top no less.

Now that you’ve heard my TED Talk on muffin making, I hope your Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins take you to a memory you can’t forget, sweet enough, dense yet tender, with a generous muffin top. Amen.

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li{padding:0;clip-path:none;background:none;line-height:1.5em;list-style:disc}.tasty-recipes-print .tasty-recipes-source-link{text-align:center} Healthyish Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 16 min. Total Time: 31 minutes Yield: 8 muffins Print Recipe Pin Recipe Description

These muffins come together quickly, are lower in sugar, and tender from the yogurt. They’re good straight out of the oven but even better the next day if you ask me, which is how I feel about most baked goods. Make the night before and serve the next morning. This rest allows the flavors to deepen and the muffin to soften. Note: this recipe uses 1 stick of butter divided between the crumble and the batter. To cut down on measuring utensils, use a 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, a tablespoon, teaspoon, and 1/4 teaspoon.

Ingredients Crumble2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour1 1/2 tbsp. pure cane sugar1 tbsp. unsalted butterWet7 tbsp. unsalted butter1/4 c. pure cane sugar1/4 c. maple syrup1/4 c. plain whole-milk yogurt2 tbsp. whole milkzest of a large lemon (about 1 1/2 tbsp.)2 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed1 large eggscant 1/4 tsp. almond extractDry1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour1 1/2 tbsp. poppy seeds2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder1/4 tsp. baking sodaheaping 1/4 tsp. kosher salt Instructions Preheat the oven to 425°F. Assemble the crumble. Place all crumble ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.Prepare the wet ingredients. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low until half melted. Set aside to continue melting and cooling. In a separate small to medium bowl, add all the remaining wet ingredients and whisk together until evenly combined, excluding the butter.Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients until evenly combined. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, excluding the butter, and fold a couple times to begin incorporating. Then add the melted and cooled butter. (Note: because the butter is warmer than the other wet ingredients, adding it in this way keeps the butter from hardening as it will do in an effort to reach the same temperature as the other ingredients.) Fold together until just combined, no more. The batter will look slightly wet, but will thicken as it sets.Meanwhile, line a muffin tin with 8 liners. Evenly distribute the batter using a 2-ounce spring release scoop, heaping each scoop. The batter will fill the entire cavity. Set aside.Mix the crumble. Using your hands or a fork, mix together the crumble until you get a crumbly crumble. This is super scientific. Evenly sprinkle on top of each muffin.Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F. The high heat will help the muffin to rise quickly. Then turn the heat down to 375°F to finish baking, about 8-10 minutes. The muffin is done when a light press to the middle springs back. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin to cool completely on a rack. Serve warm or store covered in an airtight container, once completely cooled, for up to 3 days. I prefer these made a day in advance. Notes

A note on substitutions: I imagine coconut oil would make an easy swap for the butter in this recipe, however, I haven’t tested it. If you try it, will you let me know?

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Recipe Card powered by [image error] If you like these Healthyish Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, you might also like:Make Ahead Banana Coco Carrot MuffinsBrowned Butter Pumpkin MuffinsBlueberry Spelt PancakesBanana Bread

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Minimalist Baby Registry

How do you know what to register for and what to skip on a minimalist baby registry? On our first go around the parenting sun, we registered as minimally as possible, skipping an infant car seat and huge jumper toys. But this time around, with two kids and more experience and fewer hands, we made different decisions. We also had a different experience, needing different things. Looking at the registry, I still gasp at all the items. These babies require stuff. Though, I know this time around that it’s only for a short season. Below are my favorite baby items that serve multiple purposes, grow with the baby, and, dare I say, look beautiful.

What should you put on your minimalist baby registry?

Above all, every baby and family is so different. Find things that work for your lifestyle. In general, I recommend registering for the absolute necessities, filling in the rest after the baby comes once you have a better idea of what you’ll need. Here’s a couple of other ideas for pulling off a minimalist baby registry without simply buying less. Consider borrowing or sharing items with friends in a similar life stage. Also, consider buying secondhand. There are so many unused and barely used baby items out there. We bought a lot secondhand, which I’ll note below. We sold and donated a lot, too, to keep things from piling up. 

A little bit about me

If you’re a long-time reader, you can skip this section. But, if you’re landing here for the first time, looking for a minimalist baby registry, I’d love to introduce myself in order to give context to our decisions. I’m a newly minted mother of two who leans heavily on minimalism to keep my physical space calm in an effort to help keep my mental space calm, which tends to be naturally chaotic. I work for myself from home, and, before pandemic life, I’ve always had part-time childcare.

Hallie, our first, is now 7. She was born in Connecticut to a tiny apartment. We were extra short on space and registered for as few things as possible. So few I held her way too much and didn’t have enough safe places to set her. Though there’s a good chance she would have cried had I set her down.

Linnie, our second and last baby, is almost a year old. She was born in Minnesota to a 1,800 square foot house, with all her sister’s leftover baby items. (You might notice a big age gap. Here’s why.) She’s a typical laid-back second child, born during a pandemic, with everyone working and schooling from home and no childcare. We needed places to set her just to get food on the table. As for me, I’m a little more relaxed this time, knowing that this season of baby stuff scattered everywhere around the house is so short. I guess you could say I’m embracing the sacred mess of it all, though sometimes all the stuff gets to me.

Where’s the best place to register for a minimalist baby registry?

I love BabyList, a universal baby registry, meaning you can add anything to your baby registry, from any store, from the comfort of your couch. Managing one registry was so much easier. I especially liked it as we were able to register to stores local to us. Speaking of registering, here’s a couple of great registry sources that helped me immensely when registering for Hallie lots of years ago: A Cup of Joe, Oh Joy!, and Design for Mankind.

My Minimalist Baby Registry

Sleep

1. Baby Mod Olivia Crib: This baby crib is modern, beautiful, and affordable. It also transitions to a toddler bed. We used this crib with Hallie, and it’s still in great shape. As for mattresses, I recommend getting something with a waterproof barrier. These tiny humans are so leaky. 

2. Solly Baby Crib Sheets: These sheets are buttery soft and mimic the same material as the Solly Baby carriers.  

3. Sound Machine: This sound machine is both plug-in and portable and super affordable.

4. Ollie Swaddle: I had a love/hate relationship with this swaddle. Linnie was the master of getting her arms free while trying to swaddle her. Once I figured out to tuck her arm a bit behind her back, she stayed put, and her arm had enough room to wiggle forward without wiggling out. The best part, this swaddle grows with the baby, also allowing a gentle transition to hands-free sleeping. We used this from 0-6 months before moving on to the sleep sack. These are easy to come by secondhand and easy to resell. 

5. Woolino Sleep Sack: Once we weaned Linnie out of the Snoo (see below), we splurged on the Woolino Sleep Sack and don’t regret it! Wool helps to regulate temperature, so whether we’re in the dead of winter or the heat of summer, it keeps her body at a comfortable temperature. It’s also anti-bacterial, due to the nature of wool, so you don’t have to wash it all the time. It also fits a tiny baby to a toddling toddler (2 months-2 years). Note: wool should be air-dried. For that reason, you may need two of these. But the good news, they run sales often. PS: If your house is extra cold in the winter overnight, like ours is, I recommend this extra quiet space heater. 

6. Snoo: How much would you pay for sleep? We lost so much sleep the first time around with Hallie. More than a year to be exact. Sometimes I think Hallie would have out-Snooed the Snoo, but we’ll never know. Linnie, on the other hand, slept. And we have to attribute some of that, if not all, to the Snoo, which is very costly. Thankfully, we were able to borrow it from a friend. Had we not be able to borrow it, we would have rented it. Knowing this was our last baby, it didn’t make sense to buy.

If renting, I’d recommend renting for 3-6 months. We weaned Linnie from the Snoo between months 5 and 6, around the same time they recommend doing so. The weaning process, as recommended by Snoo, went so smoothly. Note: the Snoo comes with a specific sleep sack, necessary for operation. It was never quite tight enough or warm enough for our once tiny baby, so we always used a swaddle in addition to theirs. (See Ollie Swaddle above.)  

7. Eufy Baby Monitor: Our neighbor recommended this baby monitor, and we love it, mostly because it doesn’t hook up to wifi. It’s plug and play, wherever you go. The only downside, when the camera is on night mode, which ours always is since we keep her room so dark overnight and during naps, it makes a small clicking noise when the camera turns off and on. There’s also a dim light on the camera that we’ve covered with a sticker. 

8. Bibs Pacifiers: Hallie never took a pacifier, but Linnie loves these. And she only loves the 0-6 month size.  

WHAT WE SKIPPED: Muslin Swaddles, Owlet (we actually bought a brand new, secondhand one but between the technology of the Snoo and the Willow, it was too much for us), MamaRoo (we opted for the Baby Bjorn Bouncer below)

Baby Hygiene

1. Newborn to Toddler Tub: We tried a couple of baby tubs, from borrowing and owning a different one for Hal, and this tub wins as our favorite, mostly because it supports the baby at all stages—from floppy newborn to wobbly sitting-up infant to confidently sitting up baby. It comforts anxious parents too, like me. It’s big and clunky and doesn’t fold down or hang up, which is a drawback storage-wise, but the extra support was worth the extra storage space for us. If you’re short on space, try this collapsable bath. 

2. Organic Wash Cloths: We used these with Hal and Linnie. They’re soft and just the right size and hold up well. Note: when washing a newborn, try laying a larger wet washcloth on top of their belly to help keep them warm and also help settle them. I wish I had known this trick with Hal. 

3. Dekor Diaper Pail: We used this diaper pail with Hal, and it’s still going strong with Linnie. It really helps to keep odors at bay. They also have an option for biodegradable bags if your city is able to compost diapers. If so, try Dyper diapers.

4. Waterproof Changing Pad: Make sure you’re changing pad is waterproof, like this one, for easy clean-up. These babies are leaky. 

5. Changing Pad Cover: We love this striped, quilted cover that added some cozy padding on top of the waterproof pad. See it in action in Linnie’s room. 

6. Changing Pad Liners: These are great for catching leaks and minimizing having to wash the changing pad cover all the time.  

7. OXO Diaper Caddy + Wipes Dispenser: When we lived in a tiny apartment with Hal, we didn’t need a diaper caddy. But living in a two-story house, we change diapers upstairs, in Linnie’s room, and downstairs. For that reason, we keep a diaper caddy that can easily store away in a cabinet. But at this stage of life, it sits permanently under the living room coffee table. 

8. Honest Diaper Cream: Made with clean ingredients, this diaper cream has been incredible. Linnie has had basically had no rashes, outside of one when she was a newborn. 

9. Nose Frida: This little nose sucker is as awesome as the reviews say and more sanitary than the bulb. Once you try it (it’s terrifying at first), you’ll never look back. 

WHAT WE SKIPPED: Rectal Thermometer (we use our head scan thermometer), Fingernail Clippers (I found it easier and safer to bite them or file them)

 

Eating

1. Pura Stainless Steel Bottles: These bottles have made it through 2 kids, and we love them! Hal was exclusively breastfed (she wouldn’t take a bottle) and used these bottles as sippy cups with the sipper spout for years. Linnie was almost exclusively bottle-fed (despite our best efforts) and is about to transition to the sipper spout. We also use these bottles to store snacks on-the-go using the sealing disk.

2. Muslin Burp Cloths: With Hal, we used the cloth diaper burp cloths, but those irritated Linnie’s face, so we went muslin. These were so gentle and got softer with each wash. Linnie was also an extra drooly baby, so we ended up with these muslin bibs too.

3. Willow Breast Pump: I had no idea how much I’d use this on-the-go, hands-free breast pump. At 2-months-old, I ended up exclusively pumping until weaning myself by 6 months. I couldn’t have pulled it off without this pump, which also comes equipped with an app to monitor your output and troubleshoot when needed. (It can be finicky.) We bought this secondhand and bought all new containers to keep things sanitary, see below. These are easy to resell and buy secondhand. Note: the Willow is bulky, making it awkward to wear in public or hold your baby (especially if you’re short like me). It also requires extra stretchy clothing. 

4. Willow Reusable Milk Containers: My favorite part about the Willow Pump was their reusable milk containers, as their milk bags are super expensive and unnecessary when the milk is headed straight into a bottle. Note: These reusable containers have to be replaced every so often. Pumping exclusively, I replaced them every 2-3 months. If you end up pumping exclusively, you might also want to invest in a bottle dryer/sterilizer to get the pumps dry before the next pumping. I used this bottle dryer.

5. Nipple Crack: A lifesaver for mom and safe for baby, I loved this cream over all others I tried. It’s also pump-friendly.

6. OXO Drying Rack: I really didn’t want a drying rack sitting out on our counter. But after having to exclusively bottle-feed Linnie, we needed a drying rack. We purchased this space-saving drying rack brand new, secondhand. 

7. OXO Bottle Brush: You’re going to want two brushes to clean baby bottles, one for the bottle and one for the nipple. This brush has both. 

8. Baby Björn Baby Bibs: We used these bibs with Hal and now Linnie. They catch all the dropped food and fit snuggly and comfortably around the baby’s neck. And best of all, they wash easily. 

9. OXO Spoons: We used these spoons with both babies. They are soft, coated in silicone, but firm enough to smash food. Speaking of food, I have a bunch of homemade baby food recipes this way. 

10. Stokke Highchair and Seat + Tray: This might be my favorite minimalist baby registry purchase of all. This highchair is beautiful, grows with the babe, and sticks around for a lifetime. Hal loves hers so much, we had to get another one for Linnie. Thankfully, we found one secondhand in good condition. This highchair is great in that it allows the baby to sit at the table with you and eat at eye-level, not above you or stuck in a corner. I put felt pads on the bottom of ours. And every evening while I make dinner, during Linnie’s dinnertime, I scoot her near me. For that reason, the tray accessory that we borrowed from a friend has been a lifesaver.

WHAT WE SKIPPED: Nursing Pillow, Reusable Nursing Pads (I never had any luck with these, especially in the early overflow milk days, and had to go the disposable route), Nursing Cover (a lightweight muslin blanket will do)

Play

1. Ikea Baby Gym: It’s pretty and won’t break the bank like so many of the baby gyms do. We used this with Hallie and Linnie. After Linnie was done playing under it, she liked to play with it standing.  

2. Red Rover Blanket: This muslin quilt is thick but not overly heavy. It’s perfect for play or on-the-go walks. If you’re in need of lighter-weight blankets, we love these muslin blankets. 

3. Crinkle Egg: This was given as a gift to Linnie, and it ended up being a favorite toy for months. She loves anything that crinkles. 

4. Manhattan Toy Skwish Natural Rattle: This rattle is affordable and beautiful and flexible, so when she smashes into it, it collapses. 

5. Crinkly Baby Book: This book was a favorite with both babies. Pully tales, crinkly pages, we love it. 

6. Rattle and Teether: Neither of my kids really love teethers and preferred to gnaw on things around the house or wooden toys, like so. 

7. Wooden Xylophone: We’ve had this toy since Hallie’s baby days, and it’s one of our favorites. It’s fun to watch them barely make contact at 6 months and make music years later. This toys will stick around for years.

8. Alligator Pull Toy: This is another one of those toys that grow with the baby, though you have to monitor the use of the long string. Hallie has pulled this all around the neighborhood. Now it’s Linnie’s turn. 

9. Mushie Stacking Cups: Perfect for teething, stacking, and bathtime. I love the color palettes these stacking cups come in.  

WHAT WE SKIPPED: Battery-powered toys, playmats/play pads (a nice muslin blanket works just as well and washes more easily)

On-the-Go

1. Skip Hop Diaper Bag: This diaper bag has been through two babies. I love, love the classic look of it and the wipeable oilcloth exterior. I didn’t love the changing pad that it came with, however, and recommend the one below. 

2. Changing Pad: This collapsable changing pad wipes clean and folds up compactly to fit in a diaper bag or toss in the bottom of the stroller for a walk. It comes with a to-go container for wipes, too, which you’ll need.

3. Nuna Pipa Lite Infant Car Seat: I still don’t understand how people hold a baby and a heavy car seat. I can’t. Maybe it’s because I’m short or maybe it’s because I have no upper body strength, but I went in search of the lightest car seat and found this one. Weighing in at 5.7lbs, it’s been amazing. No car seat cover is needed as this one houses a magnetic shade zipped away in the canopy. To find out which stroller systems fit the Nuna Pipa, head this way. We bought the Nuna Mixx Stroller (secondhand), plus The Ring Adapter (secondhand). While the car seat clicked in and out easily thanks to The Ring Adapter, the ride on our bumpy city sidewalks was, well, bumpy. For that reason, I’m not sure that I’d recommend the Mixx if you’re just buying one stroller. The City Mini is far and away a smoother ride. Note: We purchased this car seat secondhand. It resells easily. 

4. City Mini Jogger Stroller: We used this stroller for both girls. It has such a smooth ride, whether walking or running, and it folds up easily and carries easily, too. It’s in mint condition after almost 8 years and lots of use.

5. Baby Car Mirror: This mirror is great in that you have the ability to angle it to actually see the baby while driving. We had to rig our old one to barely see Hal, which probably wasn’t safe. I’d splurge on the adjustable mirror for peace of mind driving. 

6. Travel Crib: I haven’t found the one yet. I’ll report back just as soon as I do. 

Hands-Free

1. Baby Björn Bouncer: We tried multiple bouncers and rockers (borrowed and leftover from Hal) and this no-tech one was our absolute favorite. And Linnie’s too. We used it from the early days to well after she could sit up unassisted, supporting her all the way. Others made her look like a crumpled-up baby doll as a newborn, basically not safe. It folds flat for easy storage or on-the-go transporting. It’s also lightweight for carrying up and down the stairs. They also sell play adapters that you can clip on and off. We purchased ours secondhand. 

2. Boba 4G Carrier: If you want only one carrier, I recommend this one (or something similar like this one that my friend swears by). It holds babies from infancy to toddlerdom (7-45 lbs.), no infant insert necessary. This carrier also fits all body types. Kev and I vary greatly in size, and it quickly and easily adjusts to either of us. Speaking of, it clips on and off easily and quickly, which is a must when the baby is fussy. 

3. Solly Baby Wrap: This is a lightweight, soft wrap for babies from 8-25 lbs. We used this a lot in the early days. I love that it’s soft and light. However, it takes time to wrap the wrap, and when you have a fussy baby, it feels forever long. But once you’re situated, you can stay that way comfortably. 

4. Skip Hop Activity Center This is something we skipped with Hal, but could have really used. Skip Hop is great at creating things that grow with the baby and this activity center is that, converting from a jumper to a play table. It’s huge and clunky, but it’s been a lifesaver for some hands-free, safe playtime while I cook or shower or do anything. It also holds her attention day after day. 

WHAT WE SKIPPED: Momaroo, baby walkers, jumpers, Bumbo, baby swing (see Baby Björn Bouncer)

If you like this Minimalist Baby Registry post, you might also like:Minimal Winter Maternity WardrobeHomemade Baby FoodLinden’s NurseryBaby’s First Birthday CakeThis minimalist baby registry post was originally published August 29, 2014 and has been updated will all of our favorites from baby number 2.

The post Minimalist Baby Registry appeared first on The Faux Martha.

Pantry-Friendly Thai Red Curry

I’m back in the saddle, the quick and ready-in-under-30-minute, pantry-friendly, dinner-making saddle. You know, the as-few-pots-and-pans and as-much-flavor-as-possible saddle. The use-up-every-ingredient-in-the-fridge saddle. Which is how I landed on this recipe for Pantry-Friendly Thai Red Curry, to use up the little bottle of Thai Red Curry paste that often sits idle yet lasts forever on the condiment shelf of the fridge. That, and to use the last hunk of broccoli and the loyal green bell pepper patiently waiting to be consumed. It’s quick, ready in under 30 minutes, and tastes almost as good as my favorite takeout Thai Red Curry from down the street. Almost.

This recipe for Thai Red Curry is also flexible in that you can use whatever hunks of vegetables are left in your crisper drawer—from cauliflower to green beans to eggplant to bell peppers to carrots. Whatever you do, reach for the can of full-fat coconut milk for the most flavor. A random aside on coconut milk. I like to use full-fat when I’m using an entire can, otherwise, it goes bad pretty fast in the fridge, like less than a week. On the other hand, light coconut milk lasts between 10-14 days in the fridge. For the love of using up every last ingredient. 

How to Make Quick Thai Red Curry

To make Thai Red Curry, make the sauce in a wide pot by sautéing sweet onions, garlic, and fresh ginger, too, if you have it. I’m still working through the Kev-sized hand of ginger from an Instacart delivery a month or more ago. Then, add in the coconut milk and Thai Red Curry Paste to make the quick sauce. Next, cut in the chicken using kitchen shears and cook. Now toss in the vegetables and cook just a little more. Everything, outside the rice, cooks in the same pan. And, while one thing cooks, the next thing gets prepped. It’s super-efficient like that.

My favorite Thai restaurant uses lime leaves in their recipe. So I swapped those out for lime zest, which adds a warm citrus flavor without the sharpness of the juice. Though, you’ll add a little bit of that in at the very end to brighten things up. To add extra flavor, grab a couple of sprigs of cilantro and roughly chop, stems and all. And if you have fresh basil, toss that it too. It’s not the same as Thai basil, though, as it has a slightly sweeter flavor.  

May dinner be quick and efficient, use up all the last bits of the fridge, and taste like this Pantry-Friendly Thai Red Curry. Amen.

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li{padding:0;clip-path:none;background:none;line-height:1.5em;list-style:disc}.tasty-recipes-print .tasty-recipes-source-link{text-align:center} Pantry-Friendly Thai Red Curry Total Time: 25 min. Yield: 3 large servings Print Recipe Pin Recipe Description

This Quick Pantry-Friendly Thai Red Curry is packed with flavor, comes together in under 30 minutes, made from the bits of your fridge and pantry, and almost as good as takeout. Can you ever beat takeout? Probably not. Use whatever hunks of vegetables you have left in the fridge to pull this weeknight meal off.

Ingredients Rice3/4 c. quick-cooking rice1 tbsp. salted butter1/2 tsp. kosher saltThai Red Curry3/4 c. diced sweet onion (about 1/2 an onion)1 tbsp. olive oil1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided3 cloves garlic, mincedthumb tip ginger, minced1 can (15 oz.) full-fat coconut milk1 1/2–2 tbsp. Thai Red Curry Paste1 tbsp. honey1 lime, zest and juice1 chicken breast (about .65 lb)1 head of broccoli1 large green pepperGarnishCilantroBasilHot sauce (like Sriracha or Harrisa) Instructions Cook the rice. Cook according to package directions, adding the butter and salt.Make the Thai Red Curry. Dice the onion. In a large saute pan, heat over medium-low. Once hot, add in the onion and oil plus a pinch of the salt. Sauté for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Meanwhile, finely mince the garlic and ginger. (If you don’t want to chop the garlic and ginger, mince by way of a zester, used later in the recipe.) Add to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Then add in the coconut milk, Thai Red Curry Paste, honey, zest of a lime, and the remaining salt. Stir together until smooth. Bring to a low simmer.Using kitchen shears, cut the chicken into thin 2-inch strips (on the thinner side) directly into the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Meanwhile, cut the broccoli and green pepper into smaller hunks. After 5 minutes, add into the pot. Cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are just fork-tender, stirring occasionally.Remove from heat and squeeze in lime to taste. Adjust salt levels as needed.Add rice to the bowls. Top with the Thai Red Curry and plenty of sauce. Garnish as desired. Notes

Though I don’t keep Fish Sauce stocked, I really should, you can substitute this for the salt in the recipe for a punchier flavor. If unfamiliar, Fish Sauce is salty and fermented and unlike regular old salt or even soy sauce. You can’t really duplicate the flavor without, well, fish sauce. Note: A little goes a long way.

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Recipe Card powered by [image error] If you like this Pantry-Friendly Thai Red Curry, you might also like:Pantry Friendly Aloo GobiWild Rice SoupMake Ahead Thai Mango SaladCrispy Kale and Chickpea BowlsNo Boil Pasta Bake

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Homemade Baby Food

Up until now, I’ve had a 7-year-old completely empty category for homemade baby food recipes on the blog. If that isn’t indicative of my well-intentioned self, I don’t know what is. I had always planned on posting the homemade baby food recipes that I made for Hal, and I wish I had. Because, with no memory and a mom brain, I basically had to start from scratch with Linnie. (Just know, if I tell you I’ll do something, I probably will. It just might be a year or two later.) In that spirit, I decided to do one huge Homemade Baby Food Recipe post for fear that another won’t happen. So here it is, equipped with all the colors of the rainbow, using minimal tools, and simple methods.

 This post was created in a long term partnership with OXO, a brand that I’ve had in my home since day one of adulthood. I’m grateful to partner with a company that I buy with my own money. Linnie’s Feeding Story 

This babe has never really loved milk (or nursing), but she loves her food. Linnie had trouble keeping large amounts of milk down but still seemed hungry. So we started her on purées at month 5, giving her a spoonful a day until she got the hang of chewing and swallowing. From months 5-7, we fed her homemade purées. And, when she started showing signs of wanting to feed herself by month 7, we switched over to finger foods. (Side note: we did everything different with Hal, going the baby-led weaning route. I watched her carefully to make sure she didn’t choke on a bite. And she frustratingly tried to feed herself to no avail for weeks. But this time around, I was overly busy with work and at-home school and no daycare, plus a hungry baby. We had to do purées with Linnie. And I’m so happy we did. It made mealtimes easier. When she was ready to feed herself, we let her feed herself. It all seemed to click, unlike breastfeeding.)

I say purées made our life easier. They did, after I finally figured out how to make them without a green watery mess. Have no fear, I have you covered. 

Homemade Baby Food Tools

Homemade baby food purées require several special tools. However, most are probably sitting in your cabinets. And to the new tools we added to pull this off, they’ll serve a purpose afterward in the kitchen. If not, I’ll sell them on Facebook Marketplace, where we’ve purchased and sold a good chunk of baby items. 

OXO Stainless Steel Steamer
I love this one in that it fits in both small and large pots. It also has a handle that allows you to remove the food without burning your hand. I do a lot of steaming to make baby food, for both the purée stage and the finger food stage.

OXO Silicone Baby Spoons
We used these same spoons with Hal. They are durable yet gentle. Best of all, this spoon is sturdy enough to smash things like black beans or bananas or avocado. 

OXO Glass Baby Block Jars
These jars are freezer-safe and come with a stackable tray for easy fridge or freezer storage. Once I’m done making baby food, I plan on using these leak-proof jars to store sauces and dressings. These jars are the same system I use to store leftover food. 

Vitamix + Blender Bowl
We use a Vitamix on a regular basis. To make smaller amounts of baby food, I bought the blender bowl, which is also a great size for blending up sauces. Unless you’re blending large quantities of baby food at a time, you’ll need a smaller basin. 

OXO Peeler
I imagine you have a peeler in your kitchen gadget drawer. OXO’s is super sturdy. We’ve had the same one since we got married.

Small Pot
We don’t have a microwave and use this pot to reheat food all the time. It’s also great for heating up smaller amounts of food, like frozen peas or mangos or blueberries. 

OXO Reusable Silicone Lids
These lids can be used to store leftovers. However, I most often use them when making the baby oatmeal below to steam and cook the oats. (See here for other uses.)

Small Bowls
We have a small set of bowls, perfect for a scoop of ice cream. I use these same bowls for Linnie. We never bought special bowls for Hal, and I don’t know that we will for Linnie. She mostly eats off her highchair tray or the table. If you’re looking for baby-friendly bowls, my friend loves these Stick & Stay suction cup bowls from OXO.   

Homemade Baby Food Recipes

In an effort to keep life with a baby as simple as possible (is that an oxymoron?), these recipes are made with minimal ingredients and simple methods. They’re flexible, too, so that you can make easy substitutions with whatever you have on hand. And best of all, they’re delicious! Mel tested and Linnie approved. Most of the recipes are written in simple ratios so that you can scale them up as needed. I always made a small batch when trying new things out with Linnie before scaling up, then storing some in the fridge for the week and some in the freezer for later. In general, when using frozen produce, I don’t recommend refreezing after cooking. So for those recipes, make enough for the week. 

Note: Since most babies eat purées for such a short time, I didn’t bother including meat in any of my recipes, knowing she’d get it soon enough. Outside keeping salt low, skipping sugar or honey, and looking for allergic reactions, you can play around with these recipes, adding meat if you’d like!

Peas and Potatoes
Cook frozen peas in a bit of water until softened. Steam potatoes until softened. If desired, add a sprig of herbs into the pea pot for flavor. Blend together 3 parts drained peas to 1 part potato plus a splash of stock until smooth and creamy.
Alternates: Substitute peas for broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. 

Blueberry Blitz
Cook about 1 cup of frozen blueberries until bubbly. Stir in about 2 teaspoons of chia seeds and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Cook for another minute or so. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken for about 5 minutes. Purée until smooth. If using fresh fruit, this recipe is freezer-safe.
Alternates: Substitute blueberries for strawberries or raspberries or a mix.

Creamed Carrots
Steam equal parts carrots and sweet potatoes cut into similar sized chunks until softened. Purée until smooth, adding in a splash of stock to bring together. This recipe is freezer-safe.
Alternates: Substitute sweet potatoes for butternut squash or parsnips for carrots.

Mango Lassi 
Cook frozen mangos in a bit of water until softened. Blend until smooth. Serve one part whole milk plain yogurt to 3 parts mango. 

Applesauce (not pictured)
Cut apples into small chunks. In a small pot, add a short layer of water to keep the apples from sticking, plus a couple dashes of cinnamon. Cover and cook until apples are softened, adding more water as needed. Blend until smooth. This recipe is freezer-safe.
Alternates: Substitute pears for apples or do a mix of both. 

Avocado Smash (not pictured)
In a small bowl, smash cooked (or canned) black beans, ripe avocado hunks, and steamed sweet potatoes until smooth. Best served same day.

Smooth Oatmeal
Blend 2 cups or so of old fashioned oats in a Vitamix until a flour-like consistency for at-the-ready oatmeal (like so). Store in an airtight container. (I like the OXO Pop Containers.) To make oatmeal, add about 2 tablespoons of oat flour to a small bowl, plus a dash of cinnamon and a 1-inch hunk of ripe banana. Cover oats with boiling hot water, stir to briefly mix, and cover to steam for about 2 minutes. Using the back of a spoon, mash banana until creamy and no lumps remain. Thin to your liking with water or other baby-safe liquid.
Alternates: Add a splash of creamy coconut milk. Swap cinnamon for turmeric. Swap bananas for a fruit purée (like the Blueberry Blitz). Add a dollop of plain whole milk yogurt or a tiny scoop of almond butter.

Tips for making homemade baby food purées:To thicken watery vegetable purées, add a starch like steamed potatoes or cooked legumes. I like a 3:1 ratio of vegetables to starch.To thin savory purées, add a bit of chicken stock. This will also add a hit of flavor and protein. To watery fruits, cook with chia seeds to thicken. This will also adds a bit of protein. Things like banana and avocado don’t save well. Use them within the same day.Use frozen vegetables and fruits when you can. I don’t love most frozen produce as it tends to be mushy when warmed. But for baby food, frozen produce is perfect! Frozen food, too, is typically harvested at the peak of ripeness and frozen within hours to preserve its nutrients. Making baby food can feel like such a mystery. How do you know what foods to blend together? I like to think of it as stair-stepping them eating the foods we eat on a regular basis. So, if you’re looking for more recipe ideas, look at what you’re cooking and alter by omitting the salt and sugars, reducing the spice, and blending together.

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New Year, Same Me, Prettier Organization

I had scaffolding and plans in place to set myself up to succeed this time. At motherhood and working and life in general. Maybe succeed isn’t the right word. I was just trying not to flail again. Linnie would go to childcare out of the house, and Hallie would be at school and then day camp over the summer. I would work when I was working and be a mom when I wasn’t working instead of trying to do it all, like I did when Hal was a baby. Like I did before I knew myself well enough to know that I don’t work well (or at all) with distractions or multitasking or tiny chunks of broken time. But this time, this time things would be different. (Scroll to the bottom for easy links to the pretty new Noted by Post-it® collection.)

This post is sponsored by Post-it® Brand. The bright and beautiful new Noted by Post-it® collection is on the shelves at Target and all over our house. With the new Noted by Post-it® collection, there’s a pretty, colorful product for all your daily needs.

And things were different. On top of taking care of Linnie and “working,” I homeschooled Hal (or facilitated at-home school) and pumped because nursing just didn’t work for us this go around. And in between holding Linnie and holding Linnie, I held Linnie because Kev herniated a disc in his back two months into Linnie’s life while teaching Hallie to ride her bike. He had one of those middle-of-the-night-parent-panics that Hal would be 20-years-old and not know how to ride a bike. Sleep deprived and concerned, he taught Hal to ride a bike and she did! And then he couldn’t. (7 months later, he’s slowly crawling back towards normalcy and able to bear the weight of little Linnie. Someone knock on real wood.) I’ll save the story about the cut finger and the ER visit and deciding to end pumping for another day.

I think we all had our form of herniated disks and best laid plans last year that ended in spinning one too many plates. Even in a good year, I’m not a great multi-plate spinner. I try really hard to understand my capacity and stay within those limits, focusing on the have-tos and eliminating can’t-dos, and creating space for the want-tos. I even cut my commitments way down before Linnie arrived in preparation for a capacity shift. Like sourdough starter gone wild, pandemic life left my mason jar spilling over, and I just let it spill and spill. I forgot to do a lot of important things like cleaning the house and getting the document notarized to get a birth certificate for Linnie and other really important adult things. And then, I saw the new Noted by Post-it® collection at Target. A bright glimmer of hope, full of checklists and pretty pens, to get my life back in order. 

I went a little maximalist on this beautifully designed collection. I’m closing the chapter titled Little Piles Everywhere and starting a new one titled Little Notes Everywhere thanks to the new Noted by Post-it® collection. There’s pretty Green Lined Square Notes with a checklist for blog recipes to test and Grey Tab Notes for the cabin design list. Remember the cabin?! And a light grey Monthly Calendar Pad to get a bird’s eye view of everything and a bright Yellow Habit Tracker Note to remind me to move my body with nowhere to go and a baby on my hip. But it’s the Peach Daily Planner Pad that helps me schedule in tiny chunks of interrupted work time, you know, my favorite kind, because it’s the best I’ve got right now. 

Maybe it’s just my office walls, but this year is looking brighter and my floors are looking shinier (I mopped!) and Kev is starting to feel like his old self again. Me too. 

Noted by Post-it® Collection (pictured)Perpetual Calendar with Planner DotsYellow Habit Tracker NotesGreen Lined Square NotesFelt Tip Green Pens or PinkAcrylic Pen Acrylic TrayGrey Tab NotesPink Round NotesPink For Today NotesOrange Textured Notebook

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Lightened Up Pasta al Limone

I’m not sure how to be online right now and hold space for everything in the periphery, which is taking up the little, foggy, postpartum brain space I have left, and filling every offline conversation with friends and family. Recipes feel trite and yet we still eat. This 15 minute Lightened Up Pasta al Limone has saved us once or twice lately. My words sound hollow and yet I still jot thoughts in the Notes app and on here, mostly little poems, if you can even call them that. There’s one titled “The Moon Still Hangs and So Does My Empty Stomach,” a hopeful poem written on an early dark New Years’ morning with a headache from only drinking half of a Cosmo. 

And there’s one from last week, after the terrorist attacks on the capitol, about Donald Glover and Night at the Museum and wax figures and traffic jams.

It went like this:

Yesterday was like watching Night at the Museum with wax figures from our past melting into our present.

It was like sitting in a rush-hour traffic jam before Google Maps, making you think you’ve traveled farther than you have.

It was like listening to a Donald Glover or will.i.am song for the first time.

This is America. And we’re stuck in a hot wax figure museum, in a traffic jam, with our history melting into our present. Can you hear the prophets singing? Where is the love? This is America. 

How are you processing everything between breakfast and dinner? Between at-home school and baby naps. Between sorting the mail and cleaning the toilets? Between boiling the water and dragging the pasta into the bright lemony sauce?

I’m writing little notes. I’m not sure why. And making dinner. Because we have to eat. And trying to find bright spots. Like lemons in the middle of winter. While not discarding the sour notes. Because there’s always both. 

Note: I posted this recipe on Instagram the other day, but does anyone actually cook from a tiny Instagram square? I don’t. So I’ll leave this extra quick and extra simple recipe for Lightened Up Pasta al Limone here—for tonight or later, in between a crisis or a bright spot. Don’t be fooled by the words lightened-up. It’s every bit as delicious with a lot less butter and cream than the original recipe. The starchy, salty pasta water does most of the work here, which is a sight to behold and a flavor to taste. I fell upon this recipe under a haze of pregnancy exhaustion, after finishing the Pinch of Yum Studio Design last year, just before The Nordic Winter Party. Basically, a year and a lifetime ago. 

PS: I’m running The Minimalist Kitchen Course beginning January 21. I’d love to have you. To sign up, head this way.  

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li{padding:0;clip-path:none;background:none;line-height:1.5em;list-style:disc}.tasty-recipes-print .tasty-recipes-source-link{text-align:center} Lightened Up Pasta al Limone Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 10 min. Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 3-4 servings Print Recipe Pin Recipe Description

This recipe for Lighten Up Pasta al Limone was adapted from Bon Appétit, with less butter and cream but every bit as delicious. Grab a sweet Meyer lemon for this recipe, though any will do. Oh, and don’t forget to heavily salt the pasta water. You’ll thank me later.

Ingredients 1 meyer lemon, for zesting and juicing1 tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided12 oz. spaghetti noodles1/4 c. heavy cream1 1/2 c. pasta water, divided2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into slices1/4 c. grated parmesan, plus more for garnishing Instructions Bring water to a boil, using a little extra than normal. We’re going to use some of the starchy water to bring the sauce together. Once the water comes to a boil, heavily salt, about 1 tablespoon. Feel free to eyeball it. Cook noodles according to package directions, until al dente, slightly undercooked. We’ll finish cooking them in the sauce.When the pasta has about 4 minutes left, begin making the sauce. Using an OXO citrus peeler or a very sharp paring knife, cut several large hunks of the meyer lemon peel off, about 1/3 of the lemon, being sure to omit the white pithy parts. Thinly slice and set aside. Zest the rest of the lemon into a saute pan. Add the heavy cream and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Steal about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water from the pot to get things started. Whisk together and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then whisk in the butter slices one at a time until creamy. Once the pasta has finished cooking, reserve 1 additional cup of the starchy water. Set aside. Drag the al dente noodles into the sauce using tongs, tossing to coat. Pour in the parmesan and toss to coat. Cook for about 4 more minutes over low heat, adding in more starchy pasta water as needed to keep a creamy sauce. Remove from heat and squeeze about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the pasta. Taste and adjust as needed. Plate to serve. Garnish with the prepared lemon peel and additional parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with something green, like curly parsley, for color.  Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thefauxmartha on Instagram and hashtag it #thefauxmartha

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The Minimalist Kitchen Course

Hi! Happy New Year. We made it to 2021, which felt a little like making it past Y2K. I made myself a Cosmo, drank half, fell asleep, and woke up with a headache. I officially can’t hang anymore. Sparkling water for life. In other news, Kev gets the first round of his COVID vaccine today. I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful for this—with The Minimalist Kitchen back on the shelves, the Course is back and now open for registration.

What is this course, you ask? It’s an addendum to my cookbook, The Minimalist Kitchen. A prequel to the sequel. A tighter handhold. Not like a squeeze-your-hand hold, more like a hold-your-hand hold as you create your pared-down kitchen, not mine. Some were able to take my book and apply it to their kitchen. And others were like, break it down and take me step-by-step, which is how I feel anytime someone talks about business or tax stuff. For that reason, I created this course.

I know I’m not alone when I say the kitchen is a universally frustrating room. I even knew this as a child watching my mom’s weekly tussle with the Tupperware drawer. And I learned this again and again as an adult, growling at the spices, sighing at the spilled pasta bags, and groaning at the stale chips and the empty box of rice left on the shelf. No matter what I did, the problems came back like a boomerang and dinner barely made it on the table.

So many of us are looking for simplicity. And more often than not, we’re asking our recipes to provide this for us when we should be looking to the kitchen first. So that’s where we’ll begin.  Whether you have a teeny tiny kitchen or one that sprawls, whether you prefer cast iron pans or nonstick, whether you share your kitchen with five or none, whether you like to make long-winded meals or dinner in 30, this course is for you.

The Minimalist Kitchen Course Details
WHEN

January 21 – February 8, 2021 (with flexible pacing)

WHAT

A 5-part course to help to simplify and organize the most complicated room in the house—the kitchen—in order to make dinner time, cooking, more doable. 

TEXTBOOK

The Minimalist Kitchen, Purchase a hard copy (new or used), check out from the library, or go paperless with an eBook.

COURSE COST

$18

SIGN UP FOR THE COURSE

 

Course Outline

We’ll start by understanding the ecosystem of the kitchen, which is a glorified shared closet. (Cue the horror music.) The good news—this closet can be tamed and tamed for good. By the end of the course, you’ll be on your way to having a pared-down kitchen, recipes that work within the confines of your pantry and kitchen tools, and long-term tools for maintaining your kitchen. 

PART 1 Audit the Space

PART 2 Take Inventory

PART 3 A Gentle Paring Down

PART 4 Putting it Back Together Again

PART 5 Maintenance Mode

To join, click the sign up button below. I’d love to have you! I’d also be grateful if you’d share it with a friend that might be interested.

SIGN UP FOR THE COURSE

The post The Minimalist Kitchen Course appeared first on The Faux Martha.

Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies

Remember when? When I used to talk about finding ordinary magic in the mundane and beauty in the repetition. I’m eating my words right now (and these Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies, too). The mundane is more mundane than I ever imagined, and the ordinary is so repetitive these days, it’s almost lost its meaning. We’re living in a never-ending page out of Olivia, where I make breakfast, pick up Edwin the cat the living room pillows, make lunch, pick up the living room pillows, and make dinner. (Minus the baby snuggles that I could never tire of.) And every time I go to post something, I usually press backspace. Backspace, backspace, backspace. I’ve said that already, I say. My life isn’t that inspiring these days, I think. Maybe the mundane isn’t so magic, especially during a pandemic. Ho ho hum.

Kev’s feeling it, too, in his sessions. He’s a psychologist. They’re running out of things to say, he thinks. Nothing has changed since last week or last month or the month before that, he says. We’re all a little lost with nowhere to go.

Hal, what are you up to? Just making stuff like always, she says. She knows something we don’t, we think. Or maybe she knows something we’ve forgotten. Over the last couple of months, she’s made paper shoes and paper books and paper kites and paper stuffed animals and paper dollhouses and paper doll people. Paper hats and paper shirts and paper food and paper bowls. With tape in her arsenal and paper as her weapon, she’s winning the fight against the mundane and making magic out of a pile of paper. 

So I pick up the same-ole flour and the butter and the sugar. I turn on the same-ole oven and the mixer, too. I do what I know to do, dot, dot, dot, decorating the cookies in the same old way, like a fair isle sweater. Oh ya, I say. That’s how it’s done, I remember. 

If you’re having a hard time wading through the ordinary and the same-ole, same-ole too, I have a little something new for you—a Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookie. It’s a cookie that’s firm enough to decorate yet soft enough to enjoy and delicious enough to win an arm wrestle with a gingerbread cookie. I first tasted this cocoa-cardamom-rye concoction at the Nordic Winter Party earlier this year. “Can we do something besides a gingerbread cookie?” I asked Brooke of Quince, a Minneapolis catering company, while talking through the menu for the party. “Something with cocoa so it’s dark? Maybe a little cardamom, too?” The flavors were memorable, so memorable, I pulled them out of my head, into the kitchen, and on to the blog. (PS—Brooke has pivoted to pick-up right now. You can order her beautiful food here.) 

To make these cookies, you’ll need the usual suspects like flour butter, sugar, eggs, and extract. You’ll also need some special pickups like rye flour, cardamom, and high-quality cocoa powder. (This is my favorite.) The method is familiar and repetitive—whisk the dry ingredients, cream the butter and sugar, then mix it all together. Refrigerate, roll, bake, and decorate. We’ve got this. 

Here’s to finding magic in the weeds and in the mundane, in the pantry and in the oven, in a pile of paper and a roll of tape, and in the song that seemingly never ends. I hope you find these Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies somewhere along the way. Dot, dot, dot, amen.

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Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies




Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 8-9 min.

Total Time: 1 hr. 30 min.

Yield: varies depending on cookie size, about 40 2.75" cookies







Print Recipe


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Description

The Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies stand-in for the more traditional gingerbread cookie. They’re firm enough to decorate, soft enough to enjoy, and delicious enough to eat. Serve iced or not. They’re best either way.

Ingredients
Cookies

2 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. dark rye flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder 
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 c. pure cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing

1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. whole milk







Instructions

Make the cookies. Whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar over medium speed until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the mixer to fully incorporate.

With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture in 4 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Divide dough into two separate pieces and wrap in parchment paper, pressing out until about 1 1/2-inches thick. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough until about 3/8″ thick, the thicker the better. Dust off excess flour before cutting out cookies and placing on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute before finishing cooling on a cooling rack. Reroll and cut out remaining dough, again being sure to dust off excess flour before baking.

Make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the icing ingredients until completely smooth. In a plastic sandwich bag folded over a cup, add icing. Snip a very tiny corner off the edge of the bag and pipe tiny dots on the cookies. Vary sizes of dots of visual interest. Use a toothpick to pull dots into a heart or point. Look at Nordic patterns and fair isle sweaters for guidance. Once the icing hardens (this happens really fast) store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Thinner cookies will bake in a shorter amount of time whereas thicker cookies will need a bit more time to bake.

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If you like these Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies, you might also like:

Nordic Gingerbread Cookies
Iced Maple Cardamom Latte
Overnight Orange Cardamom Rolls
The Last Granola Recipe made with Cardamom

The post Chocolate Cardamom Rye Cut-Out Cookies appeared first on The Faux Martha.