more homemade granola bars

Last year I made Starbucks granola bars to take to camp for a healthy staff breakfast. I have been thinking about them a lot lately because I eat a granola bar every day. A hearty granola bar hits the spot for this nursing mom. But my guess is that it isn't really the healthiest habit, especially when I really don't know what is in the store-bought granola bars.

So I looked for another recipe and hit the jackpot. I filled it with all good things, cut the sugar and they are divine. So good that the pan is almost gone (next goal: moderation). These things are so satisfying. I love peanut butter and honey and oatmeal and raisons, so really it would be hard to go wrong with a recipe like this. I made mine with raw almonds, raw walnuts and raisons and they turned out superb.

I found my recipe here, at a food blog called Smitten Kitchen. Yum. I'll be working on variations of this recipe for a long, long time. I'd actually like to try to add in a lot of the starbucks healthy grains (wheat germ, wheat bran and flax seed) to this new recipe. And today I purchased Agave Syrup to try to replace the sugar and honey. I'll keep you posted as I search for the *perfect* granola bar.

six months

What in the world. You are half a year old today, Ivar Nicholas. It just doesn't seem possible that it has already been half a year since we all met in that hospital room.

Strangely, all you’ve really known of the world is that it’s really cold outside. We’ve had a really long winter that set in the week you were born and today on May 1st, we had snow flurries! But stay patient, because I really think you’re going to enjoy the next six months of Minnesota weather.

You are learning a few new skills that will be helpful as we soak up the sun together. Just this week you mastered the art of sitting up on your own. Pillows are still helpful in propping you up as you tend to tip over if there is a toy too far out of your reach. But once face planted, you are good at pushing yourself up a bit and deciding to investigate the carpet you’re on, just as long as you’re down there anyway. I can’t wait to walk you to Lake Harriet, sit you up on a blanket in the shade and watch the boats, squirrels, runners and ducks.

This month you started eating rice cereal, carrots and sweet potatoes. You love your high chair and get very worried if the food doesn’t come to you quick enough. The first time I fed you with a spoon you already were trying to grab the spoon to get it to your mouth faster. It means that we cannot feed you without a complete mess on our hands… and your hands, and our sleeves, your sleeves, your face, neck folds and bib. It’s quite the production.

We still consider you to be the happiest baby on the planet. You are pure joy. You smile and everyone, laugh with your belly and have an ability to charm the socks off of any soul who makes eye contact. You are also a very agreeable baby, who rarely fusses and usually with good reason.
Best of all is how much love you are able to give back to me and your dad. You light up when you see us, laugh out loud when we come back into your presence after having been gone for while. There is no greater feeling than the one you give us every single day: that we are loved and that we are adored. I hope you know the feeling is very mutual.

little monkey

Last week Rory and I took Ivar to the Como Zoo conservatory. When there is still snow flying in April, it's a really good place to go and to remember what humidity is like. The flowers were stunning and smelled so good. But we didn't really feel the need to see any of the animals since we have our own little monkey anyway.

easter in pictures

diy(WYM): a baby tie

I was having trouble finding a baby tie for Ivar to wear on Easter. So I found a do-it-yourself tutorial on how to turn a grown man's tie into a baby tie. Now I love a good diy project, but I love a diy(WYM) project even more: Do-It-Yourself With Your Mom. Especially if the instructions include any sort of sewing steps. So yesterday my mom, who can do anything, got crafty with Ivar.

I have been hanging onto a tie of my Grandpa Harrington's since he passed away. Not sure what my plans were for the tie, but when I found this tutorial I thought there could be nothing sweeter than my baby boy wearing his great grandpa's tie, whom he never met, for his very first Easter. The symbolism is rich for me. Easter is a day that celebrates new life and resurrection and the eternal home where Ivar will get to meet his Great Grandpa John one day all because of Jesus' victory over death and the grave. Ivar is going to rock this tie. I'll post some pictures next week of the whole outfit.

The tie tutorial is found here. The hardest part was tying the tie backwards...and on the wrong end of the tie. Thanks to our family friend's Betsy and Daron for figuring that one out for us!