Mango Salsa

One of my favorite summer treats is Mango Salsa. Inspired by some other homeschooling blogs, I thought I’d share my recipe and some (dreary) photos:

For this batch, I used one very ripe mango, most of a medium cuke, 1 small white onion, half a lime, half a seeded jalapeno and a wad of cilantro. First, I peel and seed the cuke, then dice it. Add the diced onion. Then the minced wad of cilantro. Then squeeze half a lime and mix it all up.

The reason you push it all to one side is that all those ingredients should equal the amount of diced mango you add.

Then you add the jalapeno and stir it all up. I let mine hang out in the fridge to get all the flavor melding.

Then I get out a fresh bag of El Milagro corn chips and go to town.

photo update

Here is Baby Machaj

note the arrow pointing to his “linus“

And here is Zibby with her “tattoos”

and a really cute pic of her crashed out on the sofa after a trip to Trader Joes

Zibby attended her very first play! We saw Aesops Fables at the Raven Theatre

getting better

I’ve been craving Olive Garden breadsticks all week so we went there for dinner tonight. My brother met us there, but he was disappointed (in the very slow service) and because Zibby had fallen asleep in the car, and then proceeded to sleep all thru dinner. When she did wake up it took a while for her to stop fussing and crying. I did get my fill of breadsticks, though. Yum. Small pleasures.

Well, I think we are coming off of a run of a couple of hard weeks. With the colds, the morning sickness, the winter stir craziness, decreased nursing, and new-baby talk, its been a little harrowing. The house has been a disaster. Ive felt awful. Zibby has been contrary and sick. But, I think we’ve turned a corner. We now have several birthday parties to look forward to (all Zibby’s!) and then our trip to Florida. I am quite excited. I have to prevent myself from starting to pack already!

My m/s has been better these last few days. Ive been drinking more tea and water and avoiding tomato in all forms. Tomato seems to be a real trigger. And I love ketchup and marinara, so its been hard.

Today Zibby and I ran a bunch of errands and got some decorations for her bday. I hung some stuff today for fun. She is very excited about blowing out some candles. We’ve had some practice sessions already

Tomorrow we have Music Together class and then over to the B-Ds for the day. Friday is sewing class, and we get to start sewing our pieces together! Yay!

Happy New Year!

Family and Friends. Thats what the Holidays are all about to me, so I had a great December.

My mom had heart valve replacement surgery at Northwestern on Dec 12. One week later, she came to stay at our house for a couple weeks to recuperate. The surgery was a success, and she is getting better. We had Christmas Eve at Buzz’ parents, like always. Buzz’ older brother took over the task of making the Fettucine Alfredo, for which I was grateful! Its hot in that kitchen! We opened gifts with the Ms, then came back home to exchange gifts and eat taco dip with my mom and sister.

Zibby fell asleep in the car on the way home, and didnt wake up until 4 am! She and I got up and played with her new dollhouse, in the light of the Christmas tree. We went back to sleep a few hours later, and everyone woke up around 11. Then Zibby got to open gifts and we called Tampa Owen and later my brother came over and we played cards adn then had a very late dinner. (The cook fell asleep nursing Zibby! oops! )

My mom went to stay with her best friend yesterday, and will stay there for another couple weeks, I think. Buzz wanted to watch the Bears (sorry!) so Zibby and I went to dinner with my friend Barrie and her two kids. We got home around 11 and then stayed up late watching Over The Hedge.

Today, we had our annual brunch at our friends, Cate and Mikes. They always serve quiches and crepes and other assorted yummies. Before kids we used to play Cranium and Scattergories after eating, but this year we played Moon Game and did Yoga Cards. It was a lot of fun Everyone had a laugh. Eventually we came home and napped.

Well, that sums up our holiday season-on to 2007! Yay!

holiday fun

Today we took the train downtown to the Christkindlmarket with some of our unschooling friends. Zibby was not into wearing her coat, even though it was only around 30 degrees. Mostly I carried her in my sling in my coat. We got hot chocolate and churros, and roasted nuts and I bought some cool ornaments. I got some for the ornament exchange next week at the GS leader-daughter dinner, and some for our tree at home.

Then we went over to Macys to get warm and do a little bit of shopping. Zibby was happy cuz we rode the escalator to the fifth floor! she loves escalators. We saw two Santas today, but Zibby didnt get too close to either of them. She was happy to talk about Santa later, though. I guess she just isnt sure about him upclose.

Our Week

We were on our way home from a trip out to the burbs and were passing thru downtown, so I suggested we stop at Buckingham Fountain so Zibby could see it. She thought it was great! They had a light show and music, so it was an all-senses experience. Zibby really loves water, and she really loves water fountains. It was a good visit.

Wednesday Zibby and I went to the craft store and got fixins to make dolls for an upcoming trade on Imagination Tribe. I also got some poster frames and painting supplies. I saw some looms, but decided to wait to get those later.

Thursday we had Music Together and spent our day with Mama Jackie, Nathan, Madeline and Alice. And Patrick after he got home from school.

Friday we went to Brookfield Zoo with Tina, Myra, Franny, and Barrie, Ruben, Sita. It was fun, but slightly exhausting.
Why does Zibby’s favorite animal have to be the smelly goat?

Saturday we went to a dinner party where Zibby and the host’s two year old spent the evening chasing each other and giggling, and we ate a lot of delicous food.

Sunday I had a tea party, Zibby and Buzz went to the park, and the Uncle Eff came over for dinner and watched the Bears win!

Now its October! Amazing!

zibby update

Joni sent me this photo of Zibby using the round loom to knit at the conference.
Zibby was realllllly into it. I havent been over to the store yet to pick up any looms for ourselves, but maybe we can do that this week sometime.

We have been quite busy with all of our new schedule. Girl Scouts and Music Together were a lot of fun. A friend of mine is striking out on her own and doing kids classes, and I want to take her “pee wee drama class” with Zibby this spring.

Thought I would also do a little “milestone” update on Zibby.
She is 2.5 years and can count to ten, knows many colors, can jump and climb like crazy, and has a sort of somersault going.
She loves to sing and dance, and has a couple songs memorized, and remembers the refrains of songs, and many books. For instance, in the book “Mama, Mama” and “Papa, Papa” she knows the second half of each couplet on the page. She repeats sentences, and can tell jokes. She loves to help both me and Buzz with whatever we are doing, cleaning, cooking, starting the car….
and she still takes very good care of her dollies. She likes to talk on the phone, and likes to make pretend calls on her play phone. She often calls Mama Rachel, Mama Jackie, Uncle Eff, and Nana.
She likes her hair short, and her fingernails long.
She still loves sign language, and her current favorite signs are “play” and “I love you”.
Current favorite songs are “Hello Everybody” and the Leaves song from the Music Together CD.

my little precious baby drama queen

Buzz agreed to go on a field trip today. He claims that I tricked him, however, because I said we were going to the Chicago Botanic Garden, which implied that it was in Chicago, and not Glencoe or wherever the heck it is. Ha ha. But we went to Fuddruckers for dinner afterwards, so I think we are all square.

While we were there, we took the tram tour. If you can do this, please if at all possible get Dorothea (Dorothy?) to be your guide. She was a real character. Not to be missed. Ladies and gentlemen. Not to be missed. I am not sure why Zibby laid down in the pathway of the rose garden. A fit of pique, I guess. She is rather prone to fits of pique, in my estimation.

And, since there was water, Zibby was in it.

Field Trip to Angelic Organics

Tuesday Zibby and I went on a field trip! We went to Angelic Organics Farm sponsored by the Chicago Park District, Kilbourn Park

It was a big long interesting day. Zibby and I ate fresh from the dirt cilantro and carrots and lettuce. We had a tour of the farm, ate lunch prepared from produce from the farm, milked a goat, watched cheese be made, fed chickens, and Zibby got bit on the finger by a chicken, and I got stung by a wasp. OUCH. That hurt, my friends. A lot. Here are some photos…

The goats in that picture are male goats and they were extra stinky because they were “in the mood”. Pee Ewww. Literally. Our tour guide said that the male goats urinate on themselves to attract females. (I am not writing the joke that comes to mind here)

Anyway, it was cool. Angelic Organic Farm is a CSA and has 1300 subscribers this year. They have 94 acres of land. And a nice lady used a venom extractor thingy to suck out the wasp venom where I got stung. 2 other people in our group got stung while we were there. Youch.

Zibby slept the whole way home, but I got to talk to my friend W, who is going to be my co-leader in Girl Scouts this year. I went to bed at 9pm and slept for 12 hours straight. Zibby went to bed at 10 and slept for 12 hours, too. Nice.

I love to tie dye!

Here is my latest batch of tie dye efforts. I made 3 tshirts for my FIL for his bday. He got a big kick out of them! I also made 2 shirts for zib, and one dress for her, a t-shirt dress coverup thing for me, plus a silk sarong! Many of the garments I used a technique where you fold the item in half, and then tie it, so that you get mirror images. I tried some diagonals, swirls, and had a lot of fun. I am really pleased with the results on this group. The colors were great, and Zibby helped choose-she picked blue and orange for one of her shirts, and she selected the order I did the pieces in. She even helped squirt dye on a couple things. We did it indoors and we did not make too big a mess

Enjoy!