egg salad craze

We have been on a egg salad craze in our family for the entire summer! It started with leftover hard boiled eggs and then we just couldn't stop. Hard boiled eggs are one of our favorite breakfasts, most often when there is no time to eat and we just take them with us in the car or where ever we are going!

I also found it a nice way to get my 3 year old daughter into the kitchen helping me, she chopped the eggs into bits and was so proud to help me out! And let me tell you its much easier than having your kids bake with you... you may know what I am talking about if you have tried baking with your kids!

So here is our recipe for tasty and healthy EGG SALAD

1 egg per person - hard boiled
(this recipe is for 2-3 eggs)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper (we like lots of pepper!)
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
you can add:
a teaspoon or so of mustard if you like it??
some chopped basil or chives?
or use endive instead of celery?!

we serve them on toasted bread open-faced (part of my appeal to get my kids (and us!) to eat less baked goods... not going so well...)

yummy...
good luck and happy eating!!

The National Parks of the USA

Yosemite

At the moment there is a series being shown on our (nearly) local PBS television station WGBH, and possibly your local PBS station as well, highlighting the birth of the USA's National Park system. For many in our country, including myself, we have long taken for granted the beauty all of these various National Parks give to us. I say 'taken for granted' because watching the new series by filmmaker Ken Burns called The National Parks: America's Best Idea, I have been reminded of the great vision and frequent struggle it took to secure vast areas of beautiful land for generations of visitors to experience and explore. The series covers some of the efforts that went into securing some of the Parks for the national good, the creation of the Park Rangers, and even some personal stories from our ancestors before us. It is really a beautiful story to be told and very very interesting - apparently taking Mr Burns 6 years to make. And, as I learned from watching one series about President Roosevelt's efforts in relation to the National Park system, there is a now meaningful saying engraved into stone at the top of the gate that marks the North Entrance to Yellowstone: FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE. It is reassuring to know that there are many unsung heroes and heroines in our nation's history that played significant roles in protecting some stunning and inspiring locations so that they would never be harmed by the direct effects of mankind.

Glacier National Park

Zion National Park

Because of their efforts, we now have places as diverse as Acadia to Yellowstone and Yosemite - from the Grand Canyon, to the Everglades in the south, and to the Gates of the Arctic in the far north. There are now 58 National Parks in the USA - and the story of their preservation not only stretches back into 2 centuries now, but from watching the series on television - it is also insightful.

I've visited some of the Parks in my travels around the USA, but not all of them, as some people can declare. In fact, we are talking about trying to arrange a visit to the Grand Canyon with the kids..... my husband wants to travel down the Colorado river. The National Park system is truly a proud gem in our country - something to be proud of. I'd be happy to hear any special stories you might like to share from your memories of travel to any of the National Parks.

Arches National Park

But, if you can, I suggest you try and watch the series. Watching it as it slowly unfurls on the screen also has a very calming effect on you after a long hard day. And, because it is PBS you don't have to deal with any ads screaming at you! Even if you can't watch the series, you should try and buy the series on DVD. I'd like to do that to show my kids at a more reasonable hour since the series comes on after bed time!

Meditation and Chanting anyone?

My sister has been going on some amazing yoga trips lately, she just got back from one in Colorado so I asked her to write a blog about it. I would like to add that she is at a very different point in her life than me and probably many of you if you are reading my blog, she just sent her youngest daughter off to college! As you can imagine we are a big help to each other because we are so different, right now she is yoga tripping her way across the country! Finding herself after raising her kids (oh that sounds so trite but you know what I mean!), I am so happy for her taking this time to herself, and at the same time, with each trip I can't help but yell out "I wanna go!!!" I hope this is an inspiration to you as much as it is for me!

Meditation and Chanting
- by Linda Redmond
I’ve always been curious about these mystical practices and decided to investigate (especially easy to do after dropping off my “baby” at the University of Colorado in Boulder for her freshman year a few weeks earlier).

Every year, there is a yoga conference at the surprisingly beautiful YMCA camp in Estes Park Colorado. This year the headliner was a yogi, TKV Desikachar. His father was the one who taught Iyengar, and many other of the famous teachers of today. He was a very humble and unpretentious man known for his healing techniques and was sharing them with us. All his stories of healing had the same message, chanting and meditation. It didn’t matter what your beliefs were, whether Hindu Gods, Christian, Jewish, etc, it didn’t matter. Asking for the healing power in the form of chants or mantras repeatedly and meditation, breathing can heal anything.

After chanting with Mr. Desikachar and his wife for maybe 45 minutes and then some breathing exercises for about 15 minutes, I was amazed with the vibrational energy felt from the top of my head to the tips of my fingers and toes. I think the whole room was stunned by this phenomenon. What is also amazing is that I can get this heightened energy even at home when I am practicing and not in the presence of a great guru. Clearly, there is something to this.


more information on TKV Desikachar:
T.K.V. Desikachar is a world-renowned yoga teacher and the son of the legendary T. Krishnamacharya, who is known for revolutionizing the modern practice of yoga. Like his father, Desikachar's teaching is characterized by a personalized, one-on-one approach that modifies a wide variety of yoga techniques to meet the different healing needs of each individual. Desikachar has been a leader in yoga therapy for more than 30 years and is founder of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India, and cofounder, with his son Kausthub, of the Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation (KHYF).

for more information you can read his book:
The heart of Yoga

Thank you Linda for sharing your experience!

ladies afternoon at nonchalantmom!

Saturday, October 3rd - 12 - 5pm

Ladies afternoon at nonchalant mom!
come see our new womens collections
Matta :: Layla :: Nikki B :: Makié
including jewelry + accessories and
of course our super selection of kids clothing!

Plus some exciting surprises:
Lucky Fish trunkshow
Robin Mollicone jewelry
and much more (some secret surprises as well!)

Please come and enjoy some healthy snacks and sangria!
Bring your friends!

Nonchalant Mom
365D main street - wakefield, RI (just above Dove & Distaff)

layla

I am really excited to introduce a new collection on Nonchalant Mom, it's called Tola Layla. This beautiful collection is created by Alayne Patrick (who's home was also in Domino Magazine a while back and a huge inspiration for me!). Her store in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn is stocked with the most exquisite items that will turn your home in to a place of color and luxury. She has everything from waffle towels, that are really my favorite, to a beautiful selection of pillows that will transform any room into an palace! (but believe me it also looks good even in our little Rhode Island home!). Alayne often works with master craftsmen to create her selection of often one of a kind jewelry, housewares , clothing and bedding - the result is beautiful luxury.


Her store is filled with an artfully curated mix of items for the home and body.

For the body
Antique and fine jewelry in 18 and 24K gold
Hand block-printed clothing in fine cotton and silk
Beautiful handbags
Decorative belts
Metallic and colorful sandals
Finest quality pashminas from Kashmir
Always a diverse collection of costume jewelry

For the home
The perfect sheets and bedding for the modern home, woven from high-quality cotton, in fun, exciting prints
Colorful decorative pillows
Handloomed towels (terry cloth, khadi and waffle) in bright patterns
Table linens for everyday use and entertaining

Her clothing collection, which Alayne started in 2007, is filled with amazing hand block prints on soft cotton and silk fabrics. I feel that her look is casual-chic and inspires me to be more creative and I feel that her well-travelled self is evident in every piece. I love to start with her pieces and then pile on some jewelry and for the fall it's wonderful to add a giant colorful scarf. But do with it what you will, it is always going to look great! I think that Alayne has an amazing eye for detail, she is always concerned about comfort (when she is showing her collection she frequently peppers the conversation with talk of the comfort and ease of a piece) and I must say that she is the best model for Layla (she is beautiful!)!

Thank you Alayne for sharing Tola Layla with us! and I hope you love her things as much as I do!

Fall is here and it's a good time change your eating habits

I am sure that you are feeling the change in seasons in your eating habits, I know I have... somehow healthy food just sounds better now, after a summer of hot dogs and junk. It's a good time to stop eating sugar, move to more whole cooked-whole foods diet, and eat less! I think that many Americans feel that sitting down to dinner means looking at a full plate of food, but is this really necessary? NO! I don't care if you are overweight or not but a healthy portion of food is much less that you may think!

For instance, I found these great suggestions in a recent issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. They suggest, for an adult of average build, a serving of protein should be the size of a deck of cards, a portion of starch should be the size of a tennis ball and veggies are fare game and you can eat as much as you wish! (I would suggest that this doesn't count if it's 'creamed' spinach we are talking about... but you know what I mean!).

The American diet has somehow morphed into a big plate of food and if you look at the suggestions above on a regular dinner plate it's pretty sparse. In our home I like to dish up everyones plate and then serve dinner, this way seconds are after the full range of food has been finished. We also happen to eat off of small plates which helps so that it doesn't look like tiny portions.

Also important is eating slowly, in Macrobiotics it's important to chew your food, in fact, if you chew brown rice about 100 times you will find that the flavor enhances and changes throughout this process. Obviously it would be crazy to sit down and chew 100 times ALL the time but it would be optimal! and your kids watch you so if you eat fast and devour your plate... guess what... they will learn those same eating habits! Sit down, SLOW DOWN and talk at your evening dinner. We have borrowed an idea from Blair at Wisecraft which is going around the table and each of us talks about our 'thorn' for the day and our 'rose' for the day! It's delightful and the kids love it! It also gives your body a chance to register fullness before you've had a chance to overeat. Kids are usually good at eating until they are full, but if they have the habit of eating fast and overeating bring them back to center by slowing yourselves down and they will follow.

Good luck and happy eating!

brown rice - fixed up!

We really try to eat brown rice just about every day, and I know that it can get really boring sometimes. I like to turn them into croquettes or a stir-fry on day 2, anything to change it bit from the plain old brown rice. That said, I do think it's important that your kids just get friendly with brown rice, they certainly may complain at first but I promise you the tenth time they won't even think anything of it so just keep it coming!

The other day I made this 'souped-up' version of my brown rice and it was so good, the whole family swallowed it up! So here is how it goes, and I think that I will call this Garden Brown Rice!

make your brown rice as I do in my Brown Rice 101 recipe (click here)

Garden Brown Rice

I just took everything from my garden, you can also use everything from your vegetable drawer in your refrigerator just chop it up fine! Mine went something like this:
-3-4 cloves garlic chopped or sliced thin
-two leeks chopped up
-two beet leaves
-chopped carrot
-handful of basil
-bunch of parsely
-some oregano
-handful of cherry tomatoes

So at the end of cooking the rice I put the beet leaves chopped up.
In a separate pan I sauteed the garlic, leeks, carrots and oregano.
Just remember if you want to boil your vegetable add it at the end of cooking your brown rice, if you want saute it do it with the garlic and if it's better fresh just throw it in at the end!
When the rice was done I just threw it all in there! stirred it up and viola!

In the photo I have it served with salmon baked with leeks.

Remodelista Reborn

If you like to see how the 'other' half lives.... in other words, if you love seeing other people's homes and particular tastes, if you love a mixture of high and low design, complicated or simple interiors, and some nice 'finds'.... well, then, Remodelista is as much for you as it is for me! The creative ladies who come together to share Remodelista's aesthetic have recently revamped their own site. Suffice it to say, the new look is sharper - but the style remains the same.... which is to say, they do all the hard design work for you and all you have to do is wander around and behold the interesting ideas and objects. One of things I like, and adhere to in my own blog, is that Remodelista only shares the things they find interesting or would like to have themselves. There's none of that suspicion that products are being promoted because someones getting a favor. Pure design. And FUN too!

Raising Children: Another Opinion

I came upon this article/interview in the UK paper the Guardian. The interview is with the psychologist Aric Sigman, author of The Spoilt Generation. Aric Sigman believes that we are indulging our children just a little to much and it's time to regain control of ourselves as parents and set clear boundaries. You can read the article here. At the bottom, as a little extra treat you can also have a summary of some of parenting's gurus over the last several years, just in case you find a theory you like and would like to find out more about. Then, if you scroll even further down you can see one of the many comments on the theory Aric Sigman believes to be the right course of action. Personally, some of what Dr Sigman suggests I can agree with. There are many distractions available for children now that can easily take over and raise your children for you if you don't stay on top of things. But, I also find some of what he says to be a bit narrow too - like mother's returning to a domestic routine. I've covered some of the issues he speaks of in some previous posts, like discipline. I thought I'd share it with you - as I've said before, there are many approaches, many ideas. Feel free to share your comments...

just a glimpse of the process...

I think that the images on Nonchalant Mom are really one of the most important things about my website, it's what makes my website really stand out -- at least that's what everybody tells me! But I really love them too... I take all of the pictures myself and I use my kids because I can bribe them and use "my own language" (to put it in a nice way) with them.

I have tried with other kids and it takes too much effort, and my kids are just used to it so it's really easy with them! People sometimes criticize me for using them all the time but they have no idea what it takes to sit down with kids, change outfits and have them smile... my son Sander is a pro, he should be, he's been doing it for 5 years now!


The house turns into a mini photoshoot when I do the "flats" because I usually save up collections and then do the all at once, in the summer it's outside on the deck, it's the best sun (or really a slightly cloudy day is best). This year we had sun tarps out on the deck (leftover from our Moroccan party!) and they reflected perfectly for flat images.

I try to keep it all fun, fast and easy... but sometimes it turns into a bit of a struggle and then I have to call in my husband who helps out. Most of the time it's a breeze and we all have fun with it. Everyones favorite is the karate pictures (you have never seen the result of these on the website as they are usually running down the hall arms out and leg straight up - Hiay YA!) Most importantly I want you to see the clothing in action, close-up and get an idea of the fit. So they may be boring with the same background all the time but I don't want you to get distracted.

I can't imagine what I am going to do when the kids grow up but for now they are my perfect models!

birthday party ideas

We just had a little birthday party here at the house so I thought we would share some of the ideas with you and maybe it can help you to make your kids birthday party, simple, easy and fun with almost no stress!

Our theory is that the kids have fun just getting together, having some goodies and yelling and playing! So we don't do a whole lot extra and the party is always fun and exciting and full of what a birthday party should be!


To start with we talk about it weeks in advance so that everyone is excited for the day and your child feels involved in the planning (they may ask for crazy things like a bouncy castle etc, but they hardly notice when everyone arrives and the fun begins!). We have a tradition of doing a color theme, but Franny's color is always pink so I don't even think we asked her this time! We don't make the focus on the gifts it's more of a party and getting everyone involved and helping out. My husband is really good at keeping things moving along, the kids follow him around like the pied piper! Here are some of this years ideas:


- ask everyone to wear your kids favorite color!
- get the kids in on decorating the house, blowing up balloons, taping up streamers and decorating the table
- we try not to serve too much junk food as the cake is usually a big enough "sugar high" for the kids, so we had little cucumber/carrot sandwiches (just yogurt/creme fresh and cucumbers or carrots, we cut off the crust so that they look special), peanuts, pistachios, corn chips, grapes and that's it!
- we splurged on the cake this year but next year it's back to my cake, it's not so hard and much less costly, I like to make a cake in a big square pan and then cut out the number for the birthday, like "4" -- this way you can also control the sugar!
- games! - pin the tail on the donkey, water balloon toss, drop the clothes pin into the pitcher, and a piñata! My husband is really good at taking things slowly and really getting the kids into the games.
- we just let the opening presents be a free for all... and it usually works out fine.


It was a wonderful party for the kids and parents, just a nice laid back day! The most important thing is to have fun and keep the kids moving. good luck!!


I could never forget to mention that "Nana" made the pink princess dress, probably the most favorite of all favorites of the day! (if you want her to make you one I am sure she would!! she's really good at it and the kids love it!!)

new york getaway - and work too!

I stole away for a couple of days to New York City for the Designers & Agents Spring 2010 show. Since the womens collections that I have started offering on Nonchalant Mom have been such a sucess I decided to check out this show of young and interesting designers. And well, I must be honest, it gives me a chance to steal away and see my friends and have a good time! And that we did... but first I will talk about the D&A show (I forgot to take my camera so I am without photos... sorry!). I have decided to continue with my favorite designers, just as I do with kids and hope that you like them as much as I do....

My first stop, Makié! Makié began offering a womens collection last Spring 2009, and I assume by how fast you swallowed it up you loved it as much as I do. She brought her amazing level of taste and tailoring to womenswear and we are all the better for it! Not to mention her passion for sticking with classic and high quality fabrics. I ended up hanging out with Makié for a few hours just because we had a lot to talk about, I have known Makié for many years and we share a love for things well made and well-done! So there we sat with glasses of wine, a picnic on the floor of her booth, some cheese and crackers and chatting away just about a bit of everything!

Next stop, Margaret Solow! I picked out a handful of beautiful Toumaline necklaces that I just love... she was sceptical that I could not show their true beauty online but I am going to prove her wrong and take some amazing photos! ...I think you are going to LOVE them (online soon). As I wandered around the show there is a lot of wonderful young designers but I honesty feel that the people I work with are really the best! (well of course I do!!) there are a lot of trendy people at these shows but I like to find things that are going to last in their style and color, I'm in it for the long haul! I have already written a collection with Matta that will arrive for 'Resort' in December (just in time for everyones vacations) but I don't think that I can resist a few things from their Spring 2010 collection as well. I wanted to take things right off the rack and take them home with me! (including a cotton burlap jacket that you are not going to believe!!!)

At this point I met up with Jann, from Lucky Fish and we cruised the show together. We like many of the same things but I think that she is more daring, plus she lives in NYC so she has a chance to see more than me, so I trust her opinion. There were really amazing colors at nikki b. jewelry - kelly green, persimmon red, and a beautiful blue together with her gold and silver beads... it was all great! And I asked her to make some things just for us... big secret!

We decided to take a walk along the new High Line and then we met with Meg and Teresa of Kit+Lili for dinner! The High Line was beautiful, the sun was setting and it was full of elegant New Yorkers - so much fun to be away from my desk! I really enjoy getting together with these guys (Meg, Teresa and Jann) and I feel that we all inspire each other... well at least they inspire me! Then our typical session of fun and laughs ensued; let's have a girls weekend up in Rhode Island at our house! the kids and moms!... let's go together to the kids show in Paris!... loosing wallets, finding them, a table of food and drinks, a unisex bathroom (?!), handsome older men, young couple making out at the table next to us... it all rolled into a very fun evening, then back to Jann's house to try to figure out what I was going to buy for the Womens collection from Lucky Fish (best time to buy Lucky Fish is after a few cocktails! ...just watch what comes in this November!)

On Monday, I went over to Erica Tanov to see her epynomous collection and Layla (A new collection that you will see in the store next week! I hope you love her refined take on casual easy clothes for women). When I first opened my store in 2004 I started with a mission to make some of my favorite collections for kids available to everyone; Erica Tanov, Makié, Lucky Fish, and at the time I really wanted to offer Tenant & Son sweaters (but I never found a way to buy them... still looking maybe), among others these were my favorite of favorites! When I am in NYC I never miss a visit to the Erica Tanov store for inspiration (on Elizabeth Street between Prince and Spring). Both Layla and Erica Tanov for Spring 2010 were just outstanding and I hope that I can bring all of these to you!

I am going to work on a Nonchalant Mom tour of NYC, it's something that I have always wanted to do and on this visit I was able to stop in and see most of my favorite shops and I would love to share them with you (and some great places to eat for yourself and also some unusual places to go with kids!) ... working on this...
But for now, you have an idea of what you are going to see come Spring 2010 (most things arrrive January - March).

ohhh.... The End of Summer.

It's been quite comfortable around here in Rhode Island lately. It may be the end of Summer, but it sure feels like it's going out on a good note. In fact, though the kids have started school and time is short these days, there's still some time left for some afternoon 'outside' time. The swimming pool is getting a bit cooler, so that's not as popular. And, the ocean water isn't fairing much better, in the kids opinion. But, get a bit of running water from the well, a few carefully placed rocks, a feather for a flag, and some sticks - you got yourself some afternoon delight.

The kids played for almost two hours like this. They'd move around the running water, making dams and then bridges. Then, they'd let the dam burst, start jumping in place and screaming with glee and start the whole process over again. My husband says the singular thing of Summer he will miss is looking out over his studio desk through the window and watching the kids play happily like this.

Soon, the leaves that are already starting to change a bit of color will start falling, the weather will get cooler and cooler. But, for now, this could be Summer forever.... and nothing could be more simple. Happy Autumn!

Stilton Finds a Home

ye olde stilton

Now, I know that Stilton Cheese to many is an acquired taste. Personally, I prefer Jarlsberg, Grana (Parmesan), and Manchego. Generally, I think it's better to stick with a sheep's milk cheese, and sheep's milk in general when you can. Did you know that sheep's milk is possibly better for you (and your child) than cow's milk. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. almost 50% more protein than cow's milk.
2. it contains twice the calcium and probiotic cultures than cow's milk.
3. provides more in various vitamins.
4. less sodium content.
5. though it contains fat, it's fat is more beneficial than many other milks.
6. much better for your intestines and digestion than cow's milk.
7. because sheep produce a thicker milk, it is not necessary to add stablilizers for yogurt like one must do with cow's milk.
8. easier to find without growth hormones than your regular milk from cows.

sheep's milk cheese

Apparently, sheep were the first domesticated animal. Cows came later. However, as the cultivation of livestock progressed, it was easier to have the cow. Why? well, it seems the cow produces much more milk on average. A sheep can give just one quart of milk per day (a high-producing breed, 1.5 quarts); a goat, 3 quarts; a cow, 14 quarts. The lower yield is also why goat’s and sheep’s milk products are usually more expensive than their cow’s milk counterparts.
Who would have thought?

Anyway, what's all of this rambling about sheep's milk have to do with Stilton Cheese? Nothing. I just decided to go off on a small tangent. But, if you are a fan of Stilton, you will be surprised and pleased to hear that proof has come that Stilton cheese was first produced in the town of Stilton. I heard today on NPR that a local historian in the English village of Stilton had discovered an early 18th Century letter that reportedly provides a recipe for the making of the cheese. It had been debated that the cheese, mentioned by the writer/traveler Daniel Defoe in 1724 as the 'English Parmesan', might have gotten its name merely because it is where the cheese was sold. It is known that it was produced in larger quantities in the counties of Leiscestershire and Nottinghamshire. However, now, with this discovery, it is proven that Stilton probably did produce Stilton Cheese.

However, before you start rejoicing in the streets, it is worth noting that in the few hundred years since its first production the original Stilton Cheese might have differed from its later blue/green veined counterpart. It seems it started life as a harder, rich, cream-cheese type of product. It is not indicated whether the blue/green veins were available at the earlier time, or if it came later - maybe by accident.

And there you go..... a bit of trivia to mark the mid week and first day of Autumn/Fall equinox.....! What better way than the pungent taste of Stilton to mark the end of Summer.