G-strings, Birthdays and the Great Need for Patience

For as much joy as little Ellie Graye brings to me, she can make me bat-crap nutso in a way that is almost comical, but not quite...especially when she's tired and hungry - which tonight she was both of. The tired part, we just had to wait out; the hungry part? Oh man, oh man, oh man.  She wouldn't eat ANYTHING - and I refuse to give her crappy food.  She'll eventually get hungry enough to eat something with actual nutritional value.  I cannot wait until I can say, "I'm not your line-order chef, little girl," or "This is what we're having for dinner; it's this or nothing."  For now the food thing is just crazy-making, and I'm about ready to pull my hair out! But I AIN'T giving in!

She has over the last few days been eating gnocchi...which is better than french fries, I suppose.  In order to alleviate at least a little bit of the guilt surrounding giving her a carb overload, I decided to make some homemade pumpkin gnocchi.  I did - and rather successfully, I might add. BUT my darling daughter decided that since they didn't look exactly like the gnocchi from Trader Joe's, they were better off served to the dogs who sat beneath the high-chair eagerly awaiting her cast-offs.  Nothing like seeing your hard work get hurled across the room as dogs jump into the air snapping at flying pieces of pasta.

Pumpkin gnocchi with spinach

It was almost as entertaining as that Wii game where you try to hit the soccer balls with your head but avoid the shoes and panda heads that are being thrown at you wildly across the screen.  Gnocchi was everywhere.  Scraping pasta off the walls of the kitchen while my child screamed and thrashed around on the floor wasn't exactly how I would have planned my birthday.  But it is what it is.

I did have to call and vent to my unexpecting husband who answered the phone chipperly, "Hey Babe! How's your birthday?"
"IT'S HORRIBLE!"
"Oh. Man. It must be really hard having the baby so much by yourself," he said in a sincerely sympathetic voice.
Crap. Why's he gotta be so good at this???
I was still annoyed and upset and feeling sorry for myself, but yet another good guy helped me chill out a bit more - my friend Matt.  He has a little boy a few months older than Ellie Graye, and was understanding, patient, and sympathetic too.  Just having someone say, "Wow! That sucks!" made things feel a little less overwhelming.
Needless to say, EG went to bed early tonight...and without a fight.  Maybe she was just overtired.

My little stinker right before she threw a fit because I wouldn't turn the TV on

Today was also Victor's 40th birthday.  Oddly enough, despite his constant work right alongside me, I had never given him samples of all the vodkas that I've made.  Thus, part of his gift was just that - a sampler pack of 12 of the different vodkas that we've made from what we've grown here at DPF (there are still 5 - 6 more flavors!!!).

blackberry, jalepeno, watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, asian pear, blueberry, pear, rhubarb, apple, spiced pear, and wild plum

I covered a box with wallpaper I had found on clearance somewhere a while ago, and then wrapped it up in cellophane.  I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

The box was the one the bottles came in, but I wanted their necks to show, so I cut it down

I reused the dividers that had come in the box

Placed one of our logo stickers (Colin designed that!)

Wrapped it up, and it was gift-ready!

The only other thing that I managed to get done today (aside from the vodka sampler box and the pumpkin gnocchi) was take care of the left over chicken that was in the refrigerator.  I hate throwing food out, but there wasn't much left - so I did what I always do...made an appetizer out of it.  Yeah, I know...I'm a planner, but it's just such an easy thing to make, and when you're rushing around or have unexpected guests, having one of these in the freezer can be a life saver!  I simply use the blender adapter on my immersion blender, and basically make a puree of the leftover chicken (or whatever you have, I've used everything from veggies to beef stew) then spread it on a sheet Pillsbury dough, top with bbq sauce and cheese, roll, and voila - an appetizer waiting to be baked.  I wrap it in parchment paper, throw in the freezer, and use it on a day when I need it!  No waste, and I'm oh-so-prepared!

The chicken was from a rotisserie chicken I got at Costco

top with bbq sauce and cheese

Roll and freeze!

My mother brought me lunch today in honor of my birthday.  I'm glad she lives so close now; her visit helped make my day special!

I wonder what she was thinking about...she looks so pensive

She brought me flowers, and then while she was here....

Flowers from my husband arrived!

I was just chatting with a friend of mine from the days I spent in Madonna's household.  One particular birthday of mine was...well...it was odd.  We all gathered round for cake and gift-giving - the kids gave me their cute little cards, and I started opening gifts from other members of the household staff.  As I opened them, I became more and more confused...finally, I asked, "Um, did you guys come up with a theme for this birthday or something?"  When I finally opened the gift from Madonna herself, I just laughed.  For some reason (and no, it wasn't planned), everyone had gotten me some kind of underwear...the chef had bought me a tank with matching panties that said, "I like boys." The other nanny had bought me a cute little nighty.  The gift from Madonna? A g-string with beads. Yes. That's what I said.  The clincher? The beads could be taken off and used as a necklace - I kept it, because, well...because I have a g-string from Madonna.

My birthday present to myself? Sleep.

RANDOM PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Talking to Yovani. "HIIIIIIIIII"

Making the gnocchi

She wanted him dressed...

her reaction to seeing him dressed

You can't tell, but she was dancing with Teddy!

Investment Day

How could I not have a good day when this is what I see first thing every morning? Today, the lake really struck me as insanely beautiful!

I like days like today. The farm tasks seem endless, but each one is an investment toward next season, bringing its own sense of reward in the hope and excitement for what lies ahead. It's so amazing to think that the energy that I put into the ground today will bring so much happiness months down the road.

Today we pulled the broccoli up, planted bulbs, and tilled the soil to plant the overwintering vegetables. The guys were out working the wheat fields, as well. It's so darn cool to see the big ol' tractor working the soil.

What an amazing view - the hedgerow is our property line, and that's one of our closest neighbors up on the hill!

This year was the first time I had ever had a full-fledged vegetable garden, and I've had no clue what, when, or how to do anything! Yet, still, the harvest has been continual, and I've learned so much as I've gone along. More than once over the last year Victor has looked at me with a look that says, "Yeah, ok, Lady, I'll DO it, but I don't think you know what the hell you're talking about" - and I'm sure he will continue to give that look...BUT there's also things HE has learned...like I was right about carrots! FYI, if ever you plant carrots, make sure you plant them in soil that is well tilled and soft enough for them to push through, otherwise you end up with stunted carrots that are impossible to get up and taste like dirt (the horses were pleased with the miserable failure though!).

Victor does all the hard work of prepping the soil for me...I'm a lucky girl!

I follow behind and plant bulbs - come the spring, this strip of dirt will be blooming with daffodils and muscari!

I had a great ride today on Avdou. My friend Gabby came by to give me some help and pointers with the horses. She hasn't been by in ages, and was very complimentary about the improvement Avdou is making. It was so nice to have a set of eyes telling me my leg was swinging forward and to remind me that while I have a beautiful horse, the time to admire him is NOT while riding! Gabby is a bit of a "hard ass" and is pretty brutally honest when it comes to things she KNOWS, and even so, she was incredibly encouraging...she pointed out that Avdou's canter is getting back to being balanced, and his ground manners are impeccable. It makes me feel like maybe I DO know what I'm doing and that the "time investment" that I've been making is paying off. We still have a long way to go with the horses - they are both out of shape and have loads to learn. Frank's got a big belly with no muscle so his ribs poke out like crazy! And while Avdou is getting better by the day, he still has a long way to go to be back up to being "athletic." Still, I feel lucky to have them and am confident in my abilities.

Avdou and Frank learning to be patient...

My big (17hh), grey Killer Horse - Avdou

My clown, with his signature move - Frank

Grandma Lene came by to see Ellie Graye (and maybe me) - it was so nice to see her even if it was only for a short while. Having her living so close to us has been so comforting and fun and amazing. It has only been a few months since she moved here from Buffalo, NY - but I already have a difficult time remembering what it was like to have her so far away!

Walking to go see Grandma Lene in the rose garden

I'm COMING!

Boy, this is a schlep!

Wait - what's this???

Believe it or not, I didn't cook a single thing today...Jeffrey arrived home from San Jose, so we had our usual take out from Thai Delight - the BEST Thai food I've ever had, with the sweetest owners!

Now it's time to rest. My body aches a bit, which makes me wish there were a bathtub in this damn house. Yeah, I know. No bath. It's insane!

RANDOM PHOTOS OF THE DAY

I'm currently obsessed with taking photos of pumpkins. Their orange is just so...so...ORANGE!

That is when they're not GREEN!

Ellie, commanding the room.

Little Miss Blue Eyes, on our way to the airport to go get daddy!