Nap Time Nummy All-Natural Energy Bars

I almost couldn't wait to put my daughter down for her nap this afternoon as the ingredients of my new find rested lonely and unused on the counter. She and I played with bubbles, ate lunch, watched a movie and all the while I could hear the oats and the cinnamon and the large organic gala apple calling to me from their place near my kitchen aid.

Recently I found an awesome recipe in the Backpacker magazine that sounded not only delicious for the trail, but delicious to down while my sweet baby napped! The second my watch struck 1:30pm, I grabbed my baby and we rushed upstairs to put her to bed! I said my 'sweet dreams' and she gave me a big kiss and off to lala land she went!

I on the other hand practically sprinted downstairs to my kitchen and brown sugar! As we speak this recipe is baking at 400' in my oven, but I can almost gaurantee it will be a success as the batter tasted amazing!

The recipe truly calls for healthy ingredients (aside from the butter, but c'mon, anything good that I bake has butter). And, I truly believe that these little bars would be fantastic up camping or backpacking! They include chopped apple, oats, brown sugar, raisins and carrots....tell me that you couldn't suck one of these bad boys down right now!

*See the left-hand column 'Baking, Crochet, Creativity' for the entire recipe.

Busy Little Bee and Nesting

Well, here I go! Two posts in one day...I have a lot to update you on here!

With the pregnancy coming along nicely, (aside from pulling my girl panties out of the bottom of my drawer), I'm finding myself newly betrothed to my crochet needles! I just can't get enough of the adorable little bitties I can make for this baby to be! Maybe I should also tell you that I'm expecting another girl, so the bitties get that much more adorable!

Because this blog is not only about legacy, but also very much about creating, I wanted to share these wonderful videos and crochet ideas that I've stumbled upon online! These tutorials have had me transfixed for hours; just a girl and her crochet hook.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I only knew one crochet stitch and relied on it to make your usual afghan, but since that time my skills have progressed incredibly. My first born received a crocheted afghan (which I was very proud of at the time), but this coming kiddo is going to get some very stylish things, none of which are an afghan.

To begin, I found this wonderful tutorial found at CrochetGreek.com on making a puff-stitch beanie with ear flaps. The first hat I made actually fit my first born, so she got a new hat and luckily I still had enough yarn remaining to make a smaller version for the newborn. This was a blessing in disguise because my two girls already have one of many matching things and I couldn't be more excited to put them both in their matching beanies next winter! Teresa Richardson, the woman changing the world "one stitch at a time", does a fantastic job providing this tutorial on this hat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sx2OmifSr8&noredirect=1. After completing this hat, I actually created a puff ball to adorn the top of the beanie which is truly too cute for words - and yes, I must brag about this!

Now, this new baby is expected to arrive in July, a very hot time in Nevada, so I also wanted to make a sun hat that would shield her from the sun, but not dehydrate her at the same time! You must see what I've found: http://knitwith.us/baby-crochet-pattern/. I made this hat in a magenta pink and then added an adorable aqua crocheted flower to the side - oh so cute!!!

Finally, I just finished (last night actually) my first baby cocoon! Please, if you have never heard of these baby cocoons before, you must search out any adorable image by searching google images. These cocoons are just like a blanket (so, yes, in a way this newborn is receiving a type of afghan), but absolutely too-much-for-words-stinking-adorable! Essentially, a baby cocoon is a giant sack you put your kiddo in and it serves the same purpose as a blanket. Check this out for the tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr_ytRo0LtY. Can I just say that I'm in love already!

It's likely that by the time this baby arrives, she will have an entire wardrobe crocheted as I cannot bring myself to part with my hooks! Most mothers nest while they are expecting, especially once the third trimester hits - me, I just crochet. And crochet and crochet and crochet.

Nannie's Apron & My Cowboy Boots

As I sit down to write this, I'm in the middle of preparing the hard boiled eggs needed for decorating this evening! I have just a split second, like most moms, while my daughter and husband sleep to boil our eggs, prepare the pie crusts for Easter Dinner and finally write a new post for this blog! Needless to say, I have flour on my hands and the in the crevices of my fingernails, I'm wearing my Nannie's apron and I'm still wearing my cowboy boots from an early morning horse ride - and in order to give you a proper image, I'm six months pregnant now and very much showing!

To begin, this Saturday has been one out of my dreams! Yes, this morning my husband and I were able to take our daughter up to a friend's house and take her on a short horse-back ride. I was in heaven watching my beautiful daughter in pink cowboy boots grinning from ear to ear in pride as she rode off into the sunshine and she was in heaven in her pink cowboy boots riding a horsey through the sage like a real cowgirl! Of course, my husband rode with her, she is only two and my darling baby, but this morning was wonderful. Spring has arrived in Reno and we are delighted to welcome 60 degree weather! The ride, the dirt, the sage: I must be dreaming, right?

Well, my day has only gotten better! Once my daughter hit the hay and I heard my husband snoring on the couch, I hit the kitchen immediately! And here I am, pie crust chilling in the fridge for the home-made apple pie I'll make tomorrow for Easter dinner and eggs boiling on the stove for our decorating egg-stravaganza to be held tonight! Because of my pregnant belly, my Nannie's apron barely ties around my waist, but I felt it only fitting to make this day even more memorable by wearing it while I worked.

What is it about aprons or rolling pins from past generations that make us feel like we can hack it in the kitchen? That by simply wearing my Nannie's apron, I will instantly take on all attributes I associate with baking and supporting my family? It's just crazy; however, I do it all the same, very ritualistic-like, and approach the kitchen bold and house-broken.

I've never made a home-made apple pie before and being pregnant has taught me one thing - I will do anything to satisfy a craving....even prepare a delicious home-made apple pie twenty four hours before I eat it! I'm that sick! And, yes, my craving is that strong!

This time tomorrow you'll find me 'slaving' over the kitchen stove, preparing our Easter dinner, removing a beautiful hot apple pie from the oven (or so I imagine) dawning my dirty cowboy boots and my Nannie's apron, sporting a six month pregnant belly and providing a wonderful (still imagining here) meal for my family and friends.

Happy Easter to you and may you always approach the kitchen with an old apron, dirty boots and a happy heart!

"No Buy, No Bag"

I'm always looking for ways to leave less of an impact on our planet, utilize items I have in my home for creating, and simply do more with less. I frequently visit second-hand stores, but more as a creative outlet than a way to consume less. However, last year, while watching several documentaries about consumption and materialism, I challenged myself to buy less and use less; therefore, leaving less. For one month I did not buy any new items and to go along with my limited intake of materialistic goods, I did not use or accept any plastic bags.

The challenge was simple: For one month, I would not buy any new goods. If there was an item that I needed or a birthday gift, or whatever (somehow we come up with the most amazing reasons for buying more), I would scout it out at one of many local second-hand stores. When purchasing food or toiletries (which I considered necessary items), I must use a bag I brought with me from home; if I forgot my bag, I carried the items out with me. Needless to say, this challenge was a success! Now, I've done many different types of body cleanses; however, this was one of the most memorable as I immediately felt the world of advertisement and desire lifted from my shoulders. And, quite honestly, buying from second-hand stores was just another way of recycling, which is also good for the Earth.

Well, I've brought the challenge back this year; moving it closer to the end of the Holiday sales. This challenge is necessary for cleansing ourselves from the shopping frenzy we find ourselves in after the Holiday season: the endless commercials, the constant sales, the need to buy, buy, buy. I'm calling the challenge this year "No Buy, No Bag" and have invited my friends, family and coworkers to join me. I'm facing the challenge of Valentine's Day coming up and thinking of creative, second-hand gifts I can buy my husband; however, you never know what you just might find at a second-hand store and this is just another beauty of this challenge.

Though the challenge only lasts one month, it's a fantastic way to break free from the cycle of excessive materialistic spending. It bridges our minds and souls to creativity and allows us to remember what is important in our lives (sadly, what's important is not the clearance Levi Jeans, but we somehow forget this). This challenge will remain in the back of my mind for the remainder of the year, forcing me to consider second-hand before brand new and allowing me to leave less while gaining more.

Establishing New Traditions

I know that traditions passed down from family member to family member connect each of us to our heritage and to those who came before us. These traditions give meaning to the strange and sometimes superstitious behaviors or activities we involve ourselves in every year. Most of the time we reflect on family traditions around the holidays and continue the legacy left to us from our ancestors.

However, last year, on New Years Eve, my daughter and I began a new family tradition that I have and will carry out until my dying day. I'll do this for two reasons: one, I love cake and two, I love thinking of those who also used to bake this delicious dessert.

Last year I decided that on New Years Eve I would bake a red velvet cake and that for all of the years to come, on New Years Eve, I will bake a red velvet cake. Now, this isn't no ordinary cake, mind you, and the recipe is one that has been in my family for a long time.

Growing up, my mother would bake this cake for me each year on my birthday, and her mother used to bake this cake each year for her on her birthday. Now, I know that in order to continue on with the 'birthday' tradition of baking red velvet cake, I must still be baking this cake for my daughter on her birthday. If it comes in the near future that she would prefer this cake on her birthday, then of course I will not neglect her wish for this cake; however, because I'm still a child at heart, I want this cake at another time of year as well - not just on birthdays.

Last year I plopped my daughter up on the counter, we measured and stirred and measured some more. We baked and cooled and ate this delicious cake. Now that New Years has arrived this year, we continued with the tradition established last year. Today, I plopped my now two-year old daughter on the counter, we both wore our aprons and while I was measuring the sugar, she was also measuring the sugar (and then eating it). I read the directions line by line very carefully and she would mumble something along with me. At one point she was holding the recipe and, half jokingly, I asked her to tell me what ingredient came next. She scanned the recipe and blatantly told me, "Um...cake." Yes, that was right, cake came next!

Needless to say, the cake has cooled and has been topped with homemade icing and yes, we have already eaten a bit of this cake for lunch. I am anticipating next New Years Eve, with my daughter as my co-pilot reading me ingredients from the recipe and furthering this newly created tradition. In fifty years, when I'm almost 80 years old and she's in her fifties, I'm hopeful that we'll still come together and bake this cake on this day. Possibly then I'll fumble while reading the recipe and when she asks me what ingredient comes next, I'll quickly tell her, again half-jokingly, "Cake."

For the recipe of my Nannie's homemade Red Velvet Cake, see the 'Baking, Crocheting, Creating' column.

The Creative Holiday Season

Now, to preface this post, I will acknowledge that I am not the only person on the planet who creates homemade gifts for friends and family at Christmas. I completely understand that possibly more people actually make gifts to give than buy gifts to give; however, I want to take the time today to share with you the memories I have of gift-giving and a few ideas I have for creative homemade gifts I'm giving out this year.

Although I'm sure there were lucrative Christmases for my family: I remember presents being stuffed under many a tree; there were also many years that money might have been an issue for my parents. (Though, like most children, I never recognized if we were poor or not). I have very early memories of my mother resorting to creativity and giving gifts from the heart. I remember her encouraging me to resort to ideas for gifts that we could make to give to our neighbors, friends and family. I'll never forget the famous cassette tapes she shipped off to each family member of my brother and I singing Christmas carols.

These gifts were long lasting as memories in many of my family's minds. I'm not sure that I necessarily remember all of the toys I received as a child, but I do remember and cherish the gifts that were homemade and/or passed down to me from past generations. I remember the feeling of elation and gratefulness when I received the gift and look upon the gift frequently in order to recapture those feelings over and over again.

Every holiday season, about the month of October, I begin preparing ideas for Christmas gifts. (To be perfectly honest, I list ideas all year long as they come to me, but really get serious about it in the month of October). In times past I've given crocheted hats, crocheted fingerless gloves, homemade vanilla extract, lavender salt scrub, scarfs, and so forth. There actually was one year that I spent two month crocheting 20-some scarfs...it was endless, and I learned my lesson.

This year, during the week of Thanksgiving, I finally got serious about brainstorming gift ideas. If I can just be honest for a second, I was not just brainstorming, but freaking out! I had nothing and no energy (as I just found out I was pregnant and was continuing to chase my two year old around). Somehow I came up with one great idea that I'm proud to share with you! This idea did not just come to me in the form of an hallucination, I found similar ideas at my local craft store, took them to Google and somehow my ideas manifested into something else.

This year many of my family members will be receiving Rapunzel Scarfs. In essence, this is a wonderful way to use up all of your left-over yarn that has been accumulating in the dark corners of your home. See the full description and explanation under 'Baking, Crocheting, Creating'. Basically, you measure out many strings of your previously used yarn to about 10 feet in length and then braid it. Once the scarf is on, it creates this very cool layered look! The inclusion of all sorts of colors and textures of yarn really adds to its uniqueness and allows you to wear this scarf with anything! I'm quite thrilled to give this colorful gift to my family members this year!

A Solo Hike, well...maybe.

I found myself drawn to the canyon behind my house mid-morning today. I'm not sure if it was the sun, or possibly even the news forecasting a cold front coming tomorrow, but suddenly I was descending the steps of my town-home, my yellow lab leashed and in hand and headed straight for the trail head.

Comically, I also immediately begin talking, out loud, to myself. Just blabbering about nonesense that had no coherent meaning. It was as if suddenly I needed to express some of these ideas spilling from my mouth and get the energy of these ideas dispersed to the universe. Subconsciously I had been preparing in anticipation, excitement, and disbelief at the recently discovered events in my family. Incoherent of anyone around me on the trail, I let my thoughts fly! I giggled out loud to myself, digested some very deep ideas, and regurgitated past conversations on the trail today.

Considering this is a blog about legacy and my determination to leave one for my children and their children through the exploration of the legacies left to me by my ancestors, it is here that I will release the secret to the universe. The words of excitement, justification, reassurance, and faith that escaped my concsiouness this morning were in reaction to the new baby on the way.

My husband and I will be expecting our second child in August of 2012. The grandness of this moment is just as profound as it was with my first born and although I've "done this before", I still find myself very nervous about similar issues I was nervous over prior. I'm thrilled to bring my second child into this world: to adore and cater, to teach and wonder and allow to live as all creatures live a part of this planet.

This new child will find itself spending hours on the trail, as I spent many an hour on a dusty trek with my first child bundled to my chest or strapped to my back. This new child will fall in love with the hills, the sage, the hawk, as I have and as I have taught my first born to do.