the sound of comfort

Last year, I was in the market to purchase a dishwasher. As the salesman ran through his spiel and the choices, one of the main selling points on several models was how quiet they were. For me, this was not an asset as much as something missing, something lacking from the complete "dishwasher experience". 

I've always liked the sound of the dishwasher. It's one of those noises that you often hear in the evening as the day draws to a close, as everything else quiets down. To me, the dishwasher is a comforting sound, like all is well with the world. I've thought about this several times since the dishwasher shopping experience, and I have a few realizations about why it feels this way. 

The sound means several things:

- you have electricity

- you have running water

- most likely, you've just eaten

- for a child, this means you most likely have a parent or other adult who is doing the dishes and probably taking care of you, too

How much of the world has all of those things? 

A dishwasher is absolutely not a necessity. It's one of those modern conveniences that make life easier, more comfortable. I appreciate having a dishwasher, and as I hear the whir of it running while the rest of the house is quiet, I'm grateful for all of the other things that having a dishwasher means. 

Things I'm loving right now- week of 10.14-20.13

Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami

Everything coconut:

Coconut slices

Coconut yogurt

Coconut oil (of course!)

Carry out Ethiopian food

The fall

Sunday brunch alone with the little one asleep in the stroller

Local Italian bakery

Things I'm coveting:

Expensive Chimala jeans from Japan

A cute leather jacket

Everything on Etsy (well, almost everything) 

Some kind of deep conditioning treatment for my crazy, frizzy hair

What you don't need when you're expecting

As my little man sleeps by my side, now an incredible fourteen months old, I'm reminded of his first days and months. 

I'm reminded of the days during my pregnancy, trying to make sure I was "ready" for his arrival, reading numerous useless articles and top ten lists of all of the useless products that were absolute "must have's" for every new parents. 

The truth is, there's very little you need for a new baby: milk (breast is best but formula works, too), a safe place for them to sleep, clothing to protect them from the elements and some kind of diapering option (cloth, disposables or if you're brave and go diaperless, then some good, baby-safe cleaning products will come in handy for the inevitable misses). A few swaddles are beneficial, as are some kind of cloth rags to catch general messes and some kind of mattress protector or underlay type of thing for where they sleep (to catch more messes). If you drive, you need a car seat. That's it. Everything else is mostly fluff and marketing gimmicks. 

Here is my list of what you don't need for a new baby:

1- a stylish nursery complete with matching changing table, crib, baby glider and coordinated decor and accessories. 

2- stroller/pram/buggy. After spending their entire early life inside of you, an infant wants to be close to her mother or father, so wrap up that little person in your baby-wearing option of choice and you're good to go. At this point, I'm using a stroller most days when I go out, but more often than not, I find it to be a convenient carrier for my groceries. 

2- creams, lotions, washes, etc.. In the first months, you really don't need to wash a baby with cleanser, as it dried out their skin (thereby reducing the need for moisturizer). A bowl of warm water, a wash cloth and a cloth for drying is all you need for bath time. In the winter, a little extra moisture is good for his delicate skin, but the highly-scented "baby lotions" are not, so stick to something basic like coconut oil or olive oil, which you probably already have anyway. 

Roasted tomatoes

With summer gardens lush and overflowing with tomatoes, roasting is a perfect way to prepare them. It works best with plum tomatoes, but can also be used with any. 

This is based on the Barefoot Contessa's recipe:

Half (or quarter) tomatoes and remove seeds

Distribute evenly on baking sheet and drizzle with vinaigrette mixture:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. good balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1 tsp. sugar (adjust to personal taste)

Salt & pepper

Cook for 20-30 minutes at 450F degrees.

I did these around 11:00 pm, only to discover I have a very sensitive smoke detector in the apartment. Oops! But it was definitely worth it. 

I can eat them alone, in sauce, on sandwiches, in omelettes... Anything. Plus they're easy to freeze for the upcoming winter. 

concepts, ideas, directions

There are several concepts we've been reading about in our household over the past few months. At first glance, they may seem disparate and unrelated. However, as we mull these things over, start chewing and delving a little deeper (even just on the theoretical level), everything's seems to be slowly drawing together. Weaving gracefully in and out, creating a concept and a path to follow. 

The concepts are as follows:

Minimalism. 

Zero waste. 

Ethical consumption. 

Willpower. 

Paleo/ primal/ slow carb. 

I feel the beginning of a project coming on, but am hesitant to make any kind of official declarations (to myself or otherwise). But the seeds are planted. And they are growing. 

I'm curious to see how we will go from here.

Farm visit: Herring's Green Grass Farm

We just paid a visit to Herring's Green Grass Farm to purchase fresh eggs and chickens. While there, we walked around the farm and visited the chickens, pigs, goats and rabbits. My little guy was fascinated with the chickens, their odd sounds and movements. He's only seen them in picture books before today. 

We don't eat much meat in our house; we generally eat only fish (which I also have philosophical issues with). However, when we do eat chicken, I feel good about consuming them from a farm like Herring's. They take good care of their animals and of the land they live on. This is how farming should be done! For more info, their website is here: 

herringsgreengrassfarm.com

Sunday morning European breakfast with friends

Boiled eggs in egg cups with tiny spoons

Cheeses: edam, aged cheddar, camembert 

Smoked salmon

Cream cheese, capers, red onion

Fresh, local cantaloupe 

Almond plum torte

Rolls/ Brötchen

Yesterday's doughnuts

Kerry gold butter

Jams, Nutella 

Coffee

Orange juice

Yum!