hump day nuggets: spring spring spring spring

hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week

Missoula is in the not-quite-spring place that makes me itchy for runs where, block after block, I peel layers off, first bites into meaty, just-harvested arugula and new freckles.

It was over 60 degrees on Monday and Tuesday morning we woke to snow. I like this all-over-the-place weather. Every day is shocking and the only thing predictable about the weather is that it is the subject of every Missoulian’s passing conversation in the grocery store. The welcoming surprise at the heat and total betrayal when Winter says, I’m baaaaaaaaack.

We don’t have Montana winters like we did when I was a kid, feet of snow on the valley floor for months. My dad used to hike and ski down Mount Sentinel before the Hellgate High School’s first period bell. Since Andy and I moved here 12 years ago, I’ve seen enough snow to ski Sentinel once and it was a memory in just a few short days.

This year’s snow pack is small and a strong fire season threatens. So when it’s blech and gray and brown and soggy, I take a good, deep breath of that smoke-free air.

And there are all these little hopeful 2010 tulips peeking from behind 2009 leaves. They whisper spring spring spring spring.

Oh I love the seasons of Montana.

nuggets.

:: We eat a lot of peanut butter around here. I’m not talking about the sugary stuff but real, organic, pureed peanuts. The best protein-on-the-go snack for this breastfeeding mama is a giant spoonful. And, like mother, like daughter.

:: Ruby! Little love that she is. She’s been kicking and gabbing and not sleeping much at all after 3am. At that time, she wants to laugh and eat and eat and eat. I am mostly in denial about this new routine as I am a stayer-upper. When my house is asleep is when I have my prized alone time. I have never needed much sleep so a midnight-6am stint works great for me but midnight-3am? Not so much. I’m tired.

Can’t even articulate how happy these images make me. Ruby is confident when put down. After we got home from the hospital, for about six weeks, she needed to be held by me all the time. There would be only brief periods of like two minutes when I could put her down or hand her to another. I needed it too, to hold her…we had missed out on some valuable bonding time. But it was hard. I am being literal when I say all the time. And now. Now she is regular happy baby who enjoys kicking and stretching and sitting on her dad’s lap. Diaper changes and car rides aren’t scary for her. She knows we will always pick her back up. We’re moving on.

:: Do you never get tired of these photos of Margot perched on Alice? Me neither. Notice the one title…wonder if Alice will be talking soon.

:: Wild Lupine Design is a dig sponsor this month. I have two of the sweetest pairs of the artist’s earrings and my lobes look just adorable when decked with the gems. She makes necklaces and bracelets too and her designs are the perfect combo of elegance and moxie. She lives just one state away, in Idaho, where the trees always seem taller and pointier than in Montana (and whoever gets Lucky You, well lucky you!).

***Wild Lupine Design is offering a 10% discount to all readers; Please mention ‘dig this chick’ with order and 10% of your purchase will be refunded to you the same day.***

Thanks, Wild Lupine Design!

:: And, really, how stinkin’ cute is my bug outside the museum on the day of her first ever art class? VERY.

:: We had our supper club last weekend. We usually pick a country or even a specific region of a country, but this month’s hosts wanted broad options and chose Latin. And this time of year, our preserved food from last summer is dwindling and we are oh so ready for some new flavors. So taking a trip south of the border was a pleasant and exotic thing to do for my taste buds.

And little Rubes just slept on the couch while we all sipped margaritas and ate amazing food.

Andy and I contributed this Chilean sparkling wine we are in love with, Tecate (of course!), a salad and rice. The rice was eh but the salad was great.

Lemony Avocado Salad, adapted from Food & Wine
serves 6

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 heads of Butter lettuce, leaves separated
3 celery ribs, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 avocados, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin sticks

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and garlic and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with half of the dressing and mound the leaves on a platter. Add the celery, avocados, bell peppers and the remaining vinaigrette to the large bowl and toss to coat. Mound the vegetables on the lettuce and serve.

:: I adore having a chalkboard in our home. We draw on it daily and there’s no paper waste. Just a quick flick of the wrist with a good ole fashioned chalk board eraser.

I really wanted chalk board paint the same color as our walls.

And, Martha, in her cape, had the answer. From www.marthastewart.com:

Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.

Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.
Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.
Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.
To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.

:: Muddy chicken feet and chicken footprints in the melty snow of my backyard make me happy.