My two sweethearts

Since Palesa is sleeping in our bed with us, she and I will usually wake up and nurse, and then the three of us will cuddle in bed for a while.  I can't even tell you how many pictures I have of Palesa propped up on Osei's chest.  I love these pictures... my two loves snuggled together.  Osei is actually pretending to sleep in this picture, but Palesa was smiling all over the place.

36.5 weeks (and full-term as of today)!

Hello all,

This picture is from this past weekend, at 36.5 weeks. As has been the case lately, we had another busy weekend of nesting, errands, washing baby clothes and cloth diapers, and getting things ready for the impending arrival of baby Omee. In fact, we're so busy these days, there is hardly time to shower and actually dry my hair before taking these pictures!

Things are going very well and I'm still feeling pretty good, for the most part. As of today (Tuesday), I'm now considered "full term," which means that from now on, whenever I go into labor, we are cleared to have our homebirth. However, being full-term has no bearing on when this baby will actually arrive (it could literally be anytime in the next 5 weeks, but hopefully somewhere close to our expected due date of October 18th). We still need a few more weeks to figure out this whole name thing too!

Much love and blessings to all,

Amy, Osei, and baby omee

35.5 weeks- About a month to go!

Hello all,

We're getting closer! Our "guess date" is around October 18th, which a) is now less than a month away and b) means that the baby should arrive anytime in the next 1-6 weeks. Not exactly a small window or anything, but we are getting ready and very excited to meet this little person who keeps kicking me!

Osei and I spent the entire weekend nesting and organizing our house- such as sewing, washing all of of our baby clothes and moving our computer/office to our downstairs room. Years ago, Osei inherited an antique buffet from old roomates made by Consider H. Willet, a brand named after the maker himself (yes, his first name was actually "Consider"). It has spent the duration of our marriage in our laundry room kitchenette until now. In a wonderfully productive spurt of "daddy nesting," Osei did all sorts of research and then stripped and refinished the wood to turn the piece into a beautiful dresser for baby clothes. We're still waiting on the drawer handles to arrive, but it is absolutely gorgeous. Pictures to follow!

In other news, the past few weeks has been a mix of positive and somewhat stressful news. On September 2nd, my mom (Nancy) and Ralph, her sweetheart for the past decade, got married in a private ceremony on top of Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder (see picture of the glowing newlyweds). I've thought of Ralph as my stepdad for years now, and we are all so happy for them and their marriage!

Their choice of wedding day and their good news was also intended to triumph over some not-so-good news... We also confirmed that my mom has breast cancer. It is somewhat beyond "early stage" but is the most common and treatable type of cancer, and we are all incredibly encouraged and hopeful for her full recovery. Last Thursday, her treatment began with surgery, and chemotherapy will follow. She is in wonderfully good spirits and the surgery went very well. I am struggling with being so far away from her right now, but I greatly value our frequent phone conversations. Also, as this impacts our travel schedule in the next few months, this is a great opportunity for us to join the new millenium and learn to skype! We are all greatly appreciative of your continued thoughts and prayers for her recovery.

Much love and blessings,

Amy, Osei, and baby Omee

34.5 weeks

Hello all,

For the second weekend in a row, I was back in Vermont this past weekend. This time, I was there for a Childbirth Educator Training course in Montpelier, which was a great time! It was extra special as well to see a very special newlywed couple, who was gracious enough to host me!

Osei spent the weekend representing the May family in NYC at our Goddaughter's 3rd birthday. I wish I could share the video of her enthusiastic WOW reaction to the floor puzzle (a map of the USA) he gave her! I got choked up when Osei told me about the gift, mainly thinking how much I loved my nerdy husband for selecting such a cool educational toy. Thinking about it makes me very excited to see Osei with his own daughter or son.

Pregnancy is chugging along at an alarmingly quick rate. It is shocking to think that I'll be considered "full term" in another 2 weeks (but full term means the baby will likely be born anywhere within the next 2-7 weeks, but hopefully closer to about 5 weeks). Osei and I are planning on a homebirth and slowly preparing to get ready for birthing.


Finally, I wanted to share an interesting pregnancy tidbit you all might want to know! Even if you're not a Patriots fan, you have to admit that Tom Brady is an amazing quarterback. In fact, he and Osei definitely have a lot in common (especially the good looks). Tom Brady and his wife (who happens to be supermodel Gisele Bundchen) also live in the Boston area and also had a homebirth. Just thought you would enjoy knowing how much Tom has in common with Osei!

Hugs and blessings to all!

XOXO,

Amy, Osei and baby Omee

33.5 weeks

Hello all,

We are happy to report another big adventure for this past week!

Last Wednesday, we had a wonderful visit with Osei's parents (who are both extremely excited to meet their first grandchild). After work on Thursday, we headed up to Vermont for a weekend of wedding festivities and to celebrate the marriage of my dear dear friend (and my oldest friend!) Chelsea to her now-husband, Dave.

Osei, Omee, and I also spent 3 days camping at a pond recreation area. Our new tent is a massive barn of a tent- it sleeps 8 people and was big enough to stand up in. We had an air mattress, and the ground itself was incredibly soft to begin with. We brought a few extra pillows, and it was remarkably comfortable. We both slept so well that we hardly even heard the team of college rugby players (at least 30 of them!) crammed into the campsite next to us!

We probably also slept so well because we were so exhausted from all of the fun wedding activities! The bachlorette party was breakfast and a hike, followed by a day of working on the farm where the wedding was to be held. I was first in line to volunteer for picking blueberries (and actually picked more than I ate this time). Saturday we all went orienteering. This took place in the woods, and we were given a topographical map with little controls located all over the map area (1 square mile). Each team had to navigate and find as many of the controls as possible, competing against the clock and other teams. We certainly weren't the fastest team, but we were far from last! Saturday night we all went Contra dancing, (which is the New England version of square dancing), and I can't honestly remember the last time I had so much fun. I would highly recommend trying it!

The wedding on Sunday was beautiful, and it was an honor to see two people I care about so much get to marry their best friend. I know from experience that there is nothing greater than being married and getting to spend the rest of your life with your best friend! The wedding was on a beautiful hilltop meadow, overlooking lush Vermont mountains and surrounded by foggy forrests. Due to the wet grass, I opted to go barefoot for the ceremony (I was a bridesmaid). The sun emerged just as the ceremony ended, and I think I will always remember standing in a beautiful field that looked like something from the Sound of Music, barefoot, pregnant, and with the sun now shining. And as if it couldn't get any more perfect, little kids carrying bowls of blueberries and blackberries ran around feeding us delicious treats grown on the bushes around us.

After all the fun we had this weekend, I also realized that I'm definitely not finished being pregnant yet! Which is a good thing, because I have about 6 more weeks to go, but right now I am enjoying this pregnancy so much that I'm not ready for it to be over!

Hugs and blessings to all,


Amy, Osei, and Omee

32.5 weeks and what an adventure!

Hello all,

In a single week Omee has now survived its first earthquake and hurricane. Actually, though we felt the earthquake here in Boston, it was quite minor. I thought it was Omee moving, until I realized that I don't usually feel my head spinning when Omee moves! And Hurricane Irene was just a tropical storm by the time it reached us, and about as uneventful as we could have hoped. Though we were supposed to meet up with Osei's parents in Western Massachusetts, the storm changed all of our plans and we all stayed put for the weekend. Osei's parents will come to visit us this Wednesday instead.

Osei and I were happy to report that we received no flooding or power outages, and just a few branches down in our backyard. We hope that the storm was just as uneventful for all of our friends and family along the East Coast!

In other pregnancy news, I am a little sad to say this, but I believe I now waddle when I walk. I am thankful to be able to be so active this far along, but I also believe that my running days are coming to a close this pregnancy. I said all along that I would only run until it stopped being fun, and I think that time has come. Previously, I thought that if Paula Radcliffe (women's world record holder in the marathon, who won the NYC marathon 8 months after giving birth) could run right up until her due date, then so could I. Apparently I had forgotten that I am not a professional runner, and I do not have a personal support staff of massage therapist and chiropractor. But on the bright side, I'm still happily riding my spin bike and taking other classes at my gym, including using weights.

I hope all are doing well!

Love and hugs and blessings,

Amy, Osei, and Omee

29.5 weeks... and counting

Hello all,

Here is a picture from last weekend when I was still back in my "20's". As of this week, I'm now 30 weeks. Or 75% there!

Major highlights from this past week include putting the legs on our cutsom-built co-sleeper. We will "finish" it with a non-toxic beeswax, and then just need to drill a few more peg holes so that the shelf the mattress will sit on is adjustable. We are also still working on the mattress, which will be sewn by us out of 100% wool blankets treated with lanolin to be waterproof.

Osei recently got me my first sewing machine! It is an older model, a Singer 457, and super sturdy. We've both been studying and learning how to use it and are excited to use it for real projects! So far, one of Osei's old undershirts has been our practice cloth, but we also have some lovely flannel waiting to be sewn into a few baby blankets and burp cloths.

Love and blessings to all,

Amy, Osei, and baby "Omee"

28.5 weeks- Third Trimester!

Hello all,

This picture is from nearly a week ago, at 28.5 weeks, taken last weekend in Canada.

Osei and I spent a very romantic weekend in Quebec at a little mountain lake (Lac Morency) in a town called Saint Hippolyte, about an hour north of Montreal. We stayed at a timeshare, given to us by my very fabulous in-laws as a wedding present. It was the perfect blend of staying in a nice resort (hello- jacuzzi in our room! I'm sold), and being outdoors in an incredibly beautiful and natural setting. We envisioned using a timeshare for a honeymoon, but then life got too busy and it never happened. So instead we had a babymoon! Osei and I had a wonderful time- canoeing in the lake, hiking in the mornings, swimming in the pools, and of course, wonderful time spent together. We love getting to visit friends and family all over the country (and we love using that as an excuse to travel), but this was the first time when we traveled just for us, with no errands to do, people to see, or activities to attend.

We had a perfect blend of cooking meals ourselves in our condo and enjoying some delicious meals locally as well. It is possible that each of us are still full from the amazing brunch we had last Sunday. On Monday, we also spent the day in Montreal before driving back to Boston (only about 6 hours away). We made a slight detour on the way home to visit the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont. Though we didn't take the tour, we certainly enjoyed some ice cream!

Baby Omee is doing very well. We had our prenatal this week too, and baby is growing and moving as much as ever. I love seeing my belly move from the outside, and the movements have become so much more defined that sometimes I feel like I'm being tickled from the inside- it makes me jump!

I hope everyone is doing well too! We are thinking of all of you!

Hugs and blessings to all,

Amy, Osei, and baby omee.

22.5 weeks

Hello all,

Sorry for the delay in the picture this week! We just got back late last night from an amazing anniversary weekend in NYC! We saw many dear friends, and had a great time celebrating our own first year of marriage at the wedding of a wonderfully beautiful and happy couple, Daniel and Irina. Another fun highlight of the weekend was seeing Osei's brother, Khari, and then going bowling at Brooklyn Bowl. I'd forgotten how slow the ball seems to move down the alley when you use the super light kiddie bowling ball!

Here is a picture of us with Osei's parents just after enjoying a delicious brunch in Williamsburg. I also threw in a full belly-shot. Definitely no mistaking that belly for too many cookies now!

Omee is doing great- moving around all the time these days, which is a really fun experience for all of us!

Hope everyone is having a great week. Lots of love and hugs to all.

Love,

Amy, Osei & Omee

21.5 weeks

Hello all,

We spent a nice and busy weekend working at home in rainy Boston. Osei and I built an upholstered wood-paneled headboard for our bed, which looks awesome. It was a very fun project to work on together, and it is probably the most sturdy headboard ever- I think we used about 110 screws total! Luckily, since it is also massively heavy, we had a friend come over to help move it upstairs to our bedroom, and even help us attach it to the bed frame.

It was especially exciting for us to work on this project together because we wanted to do something crafty and fun before the baby comes, and it gives us a lot of confidence for other projects too- like building a co-sleeper! (A co-sleeper is sort of like a bassinette, but it attaches directly to your bed like a side-car).

Both of us are feeling really great. This picture is kind of late this week (because today I'm actually 22 weeks!). Osei has been able to find the heartbeat pretty easily with the fetoscope, and I've actually gotten to listen as well. It is amazing to hear the heart beating... I can feel Omee kicking and jumping and bouncing all the time, but it is really fun to remember that there is something ALIVE in there!

Hope all are well. This coming weekend Osei and I are going to NYC for the wedding celebration of dear friends of ours, which also happens to be on our one-year anniversary. What an amazing year it has been...

Hugs from all the Mays!

xoxo,

Amy, Osei, and Omee

20.5 weeks

Hello all,

Here is a picture from yesterday, at 20 weeks 5 days. I can't believe we made it to the half-way point!

A few times lately, people (ALWAYS young women) have given up their seat for me on the subway train after realizing I am pregnant. This is usually because I will rub my belly and relax my core so that my belly sticks out as far as it can (though hopefully not too passive-aggressively!). Anyway, yesterday, for the first time, an unrelated stranger asked me if I was expecting! I was so surprised and excited when she asked that when she next asked me how far along I was, I couldn't even remember! My mind was totally blank...

Yesterday was also a big day for us. Over the past year, I have been in Midwifery school, and yesterday I graduated from my course. I still have a long road ahead of me before being ready to officially practice as a midwife, but completing the formal portion of my studies feels like a huge step!

I hope all are well.

Hugs from all three of us!

Amy, Osei, and our fetus, growing-baby Omee

Almost half-way there! 19 weeks & 5 days

Hello all,

This has been an incredibly exciting week for the May family..

Last Thursday Osei and I had our prenatal with our awesome midwives. Baby and mamma are both looking healthy and good. We listened to the heartbeat with the fetoscope (which is a special kind of stethoscope with a flat plate you rest your forehead on in order to hear a baby's heartbeat, which is really quiet). The midwife was able to find it (144 beats per minute), which was surprising to me, because 19.5 weeks is on the early side for the HB to be strong enough to hear with a fetoscope. She said she'd never heard it that early before! Must be all the running! We are thankful for a strong heartbeat. The really exciting part was that even Osei was able to find it and listen. As a midwife-in-training, I know that is not an easy skill- it is hard to know what to listen for, and it is so soft! I'm very impressed with Osei's talent!

Also this week, we had some family in from out of town, and celebrated with henna tattoos! (See second picture)

This morning we celebrated the almost-halfway-point in our pregnancy with a half-marathon, called Boston's Run to Remember. Osei raced, and I took it easy. I drank lots of water, ate food during the race, and started out in the back of the pack. I felt really great the whole way, and about halfway through began feeling really great, and began passing people. Osei doubled back after the finish line and met me at mile 12 to run the last mile with me, which was wonderful to share. I got choked up when I saw him, thinking about how our whole family was running this race... Anyway, my time was 2 hours and 17 minutes (vs. my personal non-pregnant best of 1:37)! I didn't see any other pregnant ladies pass me, so it is possible that I was the fastest one at the race!

The rest of the weekend shall be devoted to relaxing, drinking water, and enjoying good food and sunshine. We had our first cook-out Friday night, and it feels like summer is finally here! I am thinking of everyone running the Bolder Boulder tomorrow! Happy memorial day to all!

Love,

Amy & Osei

18.5 weeks

Hello all,

Here is a picture from 18.5 weeks, just before heading over to Osei's graduation. Yes, Osei graduated! I'm so proud of him. My mom got me this lovely outfit, and I'd just like to point out her excellent taste and sense of style.

I'm feeling great. Getting up is a little harder, and I can definitely feel the changes in my center of gravity. When I'm laying down or sitting in a deep chair, I sort of feel like a bug stuck on my back with my legs and arms just sort of sprawling in the air. I have to roll over and carefully maneuver, and getting up is a little more awkward. I have a feeling that is only going to get worse though!

We have our next prenatal this week with our fabulous midwives, Audra, Tara (and apprentice Catherine, who, last year completed the same midwifery program that I am taking).

Love to all,

Amy

Banana bread that would make even Mark Bittman a little jealous

For Christmas, Osei got me a super nice mixer.  It is like the Lexus of standing mixers.  So, of course, we've been baking lately.  Osei has made 2 batches of banana bread with walnuts and chocolate chips so far.  We're in the midst of some playful banter, and unfortunately, Osei did not take my suggestion to use Mark Bittman's recipe and instead went with Joy of Cooking.  He did, however, use two very "a la Bittman" tweaks, including substituting whole wheat flour, and then the next day, toasting the bread and serving it to his wife (me!) for breakfast.

But this weekend we had banana bread that just blew us out of the water.  Actually, it blew our banana bread out of the water.  The amazing taste blew our minds, but I digress.  Our measly banana-flavored concoction suddenly appeared unsophisticated and frumpy, the way a community college dropout must feel when thrust into an intellectual conversation with Harvard PH.D's.  In the wrong league.

We were at a party celebrating the birthday of our friend, Myra, when in waltzed one of her roommates with a lit birthday cake.  Our hostess blew out the candles and eagerly passed around thick slices of the banana bread, warm chocolate chips oozing.  I got a slightly bigger piece, and Osei informed me he'd be happy to trade pieces with me, in case it was too much for me to handle.  Yeah, right.  Three of us, previously conversing (before the most amazing banana bread ever tasted), loaded up our first fork-full without hesitation.

The room went silent.  Slowly, the daze of stars circling our heads faded, and our vision shifted back into focus.  Our conversation buddy, Simon, remarked that he didn't think he could restrain himself from eating the entire loaf if he didn't physically remove himself from the room.  Osei whimpered slightly, overcome by the surprise burst of cinnamon-sugar topping coating the thick crust.  Bits of chocolate chips and flecks of bread coated his lips as the silky soft bread melted in his mouth. 

I pretended to kiss my husband.  Yes, I love him and can hardly keep my hands off of him, but this time an unusually large chunk of banana bread just sat there, abandoned, on his lower lip.  I kissed my husband so that I could eat a crumb off of his lip. 

I foolishly bated, "Something this good could only be Mark Bittman, agreed?"  Truly, I enjoyed the banana bread we made ourselves.  But this was comparing Jupiter to Mercury.  Practically a galaxy apart.  Even I knew the futility of my weak attempt to score a point for Mark Bittman and resolve our Joy vs Bittman debate once and for all..

Simon, unaware he'd inadvertently engaged in a marital showdown, gently reminded me that there was nothing Minimalist about this banana goodness.  We all agreed it could only be a Grandmother's recipe. 

Word quickly spread around the party that this was no ordinary banana bread.  Probably the best thing any of us had ever tasted.  Myra paused the ipod, interrupting Rihnna's "What's My Name," to give credit where credit is due.  Her roommate, Sam Schwartz, humbly smiled when the entire party acknowledged her amazing baking with rounds of applause and cheers.  No exaggeration either.  I've never before in my life had the urge to clap for banana bread.

Obviously, at this point, I had to speak to Sam herself.  I quickly got over being wrong for even suggesting that Bittman's recipe could rival this baby.  I had to find Sam and know more.  Indeed, this recipe had been passed down to her from her grandmother.  Sam showed me the original hand scripted notebook, and kindly allowed me to copy down the recipe. 

My life changed a little bit this weekend.  I arrived at Myra's house in a relatively ignorant state of Pre-Banana-Bread status quo, and both Osei and I returned home changed people.  Trying to re-create Sam's banana bread at home will be a tall order.  There appear to be small subtleties in technique, and I can't help but think that maybe Ghirardelli chocolate chips are truly qualitatively superior to Stop-and-Shop brand.  Maybe we need to wait until the bananas turn completely brown with ripeness.  And our healthy whole wheat flour?  I think we have enough compelling evidence to at least try it with white flour. 

Fortunately, we have an excellent mixer.  As far as settling our claims between Mark Bittman and Joy of Cooking, Sam's banana bread resolved nothing.  The marital debate continues, but Osei and I are both winners on this one.

You KNOW how reckless socks can be!

Osei and Amy are folding laundry together.  Osei is mating his two pairs of fancy wool socks my mom gave him for Christmas.  He laments that he would buy another pair himself, but he's holding out hope that the next pair from her are just around the corner... 

Osei: Your mom really knows high-quality wool socks!
Amy: Heh, I know!  Have you seen her with her precious socks though? She'll let me borrow them when we visit, but before we leave, she'll do a sweep of the entire house to make sure each and every sock is accounted for!
Osei: Why?  I mean, does she have a reason to need to count her socks when you visit her?
Amy: [Pausing] Well, you KNOW how socks are!

10 reasons why my husband is totally awesome

1. He makes me lattes on the weekends (we call it Maybucks)
2. He doesn't get mad that I inevitably steal the blankets (forcing him to snuggle against me to stay warm)
3. He wakes up early with me and packs my lunch for me, even though I would probably stay in bed if I had the chance to sleep in
4. He cooks and bakes all sorts of healthy and delicious goodness for me
5. At least twice a week, he also goes running with me, even when it is below 20 degrees outside and it is snowing
6. He isn't at all grossed out when I describe in detail everything I'm learning about childbirth and pregnancy in my Midwifery course
7. He thinks I'm totally hot, even when I surprise him with my ice cold hands up his back
8. He thinks I'm totally hot, even when I haven't showered in 2 days and am still wearing the same pair of socks
9. He let me take over both drawers in the bathroom, and about 65% of the medicine cabinet space too
10. He buys orchids and lillies and basil plants, and then pots them, so they will last longer

How to Cook Everything with Joy

Osei and I are engaged in a loving debate about the best cookbook. Personally, I am a devoted follower of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. After all, it teaches us how to cook EVERYTHING. It is simple, direct, and always uses the ingredients that I already have in my kitchen. Plus, Mark writes like he's talking to me personally. We practically converse in my kitchen as he sits on the stool, instructing me how to bake, for example, Bread Pudding.

I ask him, "Mark, do I need to cut the bread," and he just seems to read my mind, replying, "You can cut or tear the bread, but cut off the crusts if they are too thick." Thanks, Mark. Do I feel guilty substituting multi-grain oat bread for white bread? Absolutely not! After all, that is what Mark would do- he is always fully encouraging of me making healthy substitutions. And he even gently suggests ways to embellish my recipe- I can throw in some chocolate chips, raisins, chopped walnuts, orange zest, and the list goes on.

Most of all, I have so much respect for Mark because he knows that I can cook delicious and healthy foods best when I can cook simply. None of his recipes require an extra trip to the store for some obscure but necessary ingredient, like "3 pinches of saffron from the southern region of the Philippines." No offense here to Julia Childs, who is the notorious Queen of using intimidating and labor-intensive cooking ingredients and instructions. Julia and I both went to Smith College, so she obviously holds a dear place in my heart, though her style feels completely inaccessible to the everyday woman (i.e. someone like me who neither buys ducks, keeps cream and creme fraiche in the house, nor has a desire to de-marrow a bone).



Simple Recipes for Great Food. I couldn't put it any better myself. Though I generally attempt to refrain from circular references during debates with my husband, the New York Times even refers to How to Cook Everything as "A more hip Joy of Cooking." Also, check out the two little stickers on the cover. Winner. There you go. Bittman takes the cake.



My husband Osei, on the other hand, prefers the Joy of Cooking. Meh. We flipped through it this morning to see a small illustration of how to peel and cut a pineapple while leaving the pineapple chunks attached to the core. Fancy schmancy, but who actually carves a pineapple but leaves it all connected like that? Do you really think you're going to be able to rip your little chunk of fresh pineapple off of that core with just a toothpick?

Plus, Joy of Cooking is a little outdated, in my opinion. My grandmother was a talented cook and all, but still, I can't help but think that Bittman's How to Cook Everything is a much more relevant resource for us "hipster cooks" today. Let's leave Joy of Cooking for those who want to make fancy centerpieces out of pineapples.

One more reason I'm a true supporter of my friend, Mark is that he cooks things that Osei and I actually eat! For example, check out Mark Bittman's "The Minimalist" coulmn in the New York Times. It is all about making whole grain pancakes. We love whole grain pancakes. In fact, Osei is probably the lead experimenter in our weekend pancake adventures. He's played with whole wheat flour, buckwheat, oats, carrots, nuts, raisins, and banannas, so far.




Don't these pancakes look delicious? Mark Bittman is just like us. He likes whole grain pancakes, and all the variations you can imagine, just like Osei and I do. In case my husband is still not convinced that How to Cook Everything is our go-to cookbook, perhaps I can sway his mind this weekend when Mark and I bake some oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cranberry-walnut cookies.

One year later... Pearl Street Mall

December 2009. Pearl Street Mall engagement pictures by the talented Susan Horn


November 2010. Pearl Street Mall. The frog is still there. Photos by a talented stranger walking by

Date Night with the Hubs

Now that we're married, we don't get out as often. Date night becomes a big deal. We decided to get dolled up, take some pictures, and have a good ole' fashioned date. We went to the "Cheesecake Bistro" as my hubby calls it, and then made out like teenagers on the edge of a fountain. It was fantastic.

And then we bought me a bike helmet. I was so excited to try it that I wore it the whole car ride home. Safety never takes a holiday.

Good food with good friends

We had friends over the other day for lunch and enjoyed a delicious spread of sandwiches, tomato & basil salad, tabouli, spinach salad, and lebanese bread with hummus...

My husband's summertime favorite may very well be fried plantains. He cooks on low heat with vegetable oil. Unlike bananas, plantains tend to stay quite firm even when extremely ripe. As they cook, they become sweeter and sweeter, until they are like candy with a crispy golden outer shell.

Speaking of candy. Okay, okay, this was a different occasion, but I liked the picture. On our way home from CT, we had dinner at Crocker Barrel. Now I can say I've been there once and can cross it off the list. My arteries rejoice.