February News, Notes and Links

Happy 1st of March, Everyone!  Was February a good month for you?  It was pretty uneventful for us, which can be a good thing.  We've mostly just hunkered down to ride out the rest of the winter without complaining too much!  I have a big announcement to make, but let's talk about some fun links first.

Links
Food
One thing has really buoyed my spirits and brought more life into the house has been buying two new cookbooks. Believe it or not, I haven't bought myself a cookbook in years!   I know it may seem strange, but I generally get inspired by eating more than reading.  But since there doesn't seem to be anything extraordinary to taste around here, it's time to find some inspiration through books about food, and enjoy new ideas happening right in my own kitchen.  I can't tell you enough good things about these two, and I will most surely be writing a post about cookbooks that move me in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Pomegranates and Roses by Ariana (I know, it's meant to be!) Bundy.  This week I'll be sharing a really unsual spring recipe from the latter.

 I found a couple of compelling recipes from other blogs I'd like to try: Brussel Sprout Egg Drop Soup, for starters.

I would also like to try this really classic recipe for fish: Sole Meuniere-- it would proably be really nice using almond flour.

Family
I loved reading about all of the different philosophies on feeding babies from around the world.  Every culture has its musts and taboos about which foods should or should not be given first.  Personally, I trust real foods more than cereals, and I highly recommend two books about this topic, for those of you who are going to be feeding babies: Nourished Baby, and Beautiful Babies-- I own them both, and they are excellent resources.

Speaking of feeding our families, Lindsey has a great list of lunches and snacks for kids.

This article on minimalist parenting resonated with me.  I think boredom is a gift we give children-- it forces them to be creative and have the space to breathe.  It also makes for happier, more spontaneous families, in my opinion.

Home
Here's a simple recipe for making your own dish detergent (for dishwashers) and dish soap (for hand-washing.)

Are you planning your garden?  Here's a great guide to finding non-gmo seeds.

As you start planning for Easter, you will want to check out the options for dyeing eggs with household ingredients.

Art
Other things that have perked me up this month:
A really fun miniature project.

Speaking of miniatures, how about teeny-tiny food?

And continuing the them of art and food, here is a really touching project to check out: Oma & Bella.  Be sure and watch the trailer for the documentary about these two German Jewish ladies.

For Fun
If you missed it on facebook, you will want to read this really hilarious goat birth story!

Are you a fellow francophile?  It used to be that I watched most of my French movies alone.  But now that Jeff is taking French classes, we end up enjoying a new French film almost every weekend.  One that I really loved and smiled about for a few days was The Intouchables.  Here's the trailer, I think you'll like it. (Not for children.)

Notes
Marketplace
Have you noticed a new tab in my pages at the top of my blog?  One of them is the Marketplace, and I thought I should tell you about it. 
 
I have mentioned before that I am part of a network committed to health, the environment, and especially real food-- Village Green Network.  There are so many exciting things happening with this incredibly smart and talented group of bloggers.  You can go check out the many blogs that are a part of VGN-- these bloggers have such a wealth of information to share!  The network has just started something new, which I am really proud of.  We are promoting companies that value sustainable practices, truth in labeling, and health-promoting products.  These are companies that are not owned by larger conglomerates, like many of the "organic" brands out there are.  VGN now has a marketplace where you can go find a lot of genuinely good companies, services and products.  The categories are geo-targeted, so viewers in the USA will see more products than those in Europe.  Hopefully, we'll be finding some great UK and other European companies soon. Clicking through and checking out the various listings also supports this blog, so we all win-- you, the sustainable companies, and me!

Newsletter
I will be sending out my third weekly newsletter in a few hours.  If you haven't signed up yet, you should!  Most weeks, I will be including unique content and recipes that you will not find here.  This week, I'm talking about roots (the edible kind.)

NEWS!

So, my big announcement.  Just typing this part gives me butterflies in my stomach, but I'll go ahead and put it out there:  I'm writing a cookbook.  This is something I've always kind of dreamed about, but never quite felt ready to dare to do something about.  I am putting together recipes, stories, photos, and talking about my personal food philosophy, all centered around the joy of eating.  This book will be self-published as an e-book (at first, at least!) and I am hoping to get it done before summer.  I am super excited and kind of scared. I have really loved sharing recipes and with you and talking about food here, and I can't wait to take this even further.


That wraps it up for this month.  I am wishing you a really wonderful month of March.  What was the best thing that happened to you this month?

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.