Christine Chitnis: July 2012

...and then there were four

We welcomed Vikram John into the world at 3:39am on July 30th- his actual due date, punctual little man! He is an absolute dream- with his soft cap of black hair, and sweet, peaceful little soul. We love him so... Vijay is quite enamored with his new brother, smothering him non-stop with 'gentle' kisses and pats. I can't wait to share more, but for now, we are resting and enjoying our time together as a new family of four!

Perfectly Peachy

Today is one of those days that seem to drag on...sticky, hot, and still. I had just put Vijay down for his nap, which took over an hour- the back and forth, endless songs and stories- when the doorbell rang. The second solicitor of the day, pushing pamphlets and asking for a minute of my time. I held my tongue, but the look on my face must have said it all. He quickly turned and headed back out into the heat. As he made his hasty retreat, all I could think was, I deserve something sweet today....

With a bowl of perfectly ripe peaches sitting on the counter, I decided to make a tart of sorts. I pretty much made it up as I went along, and luckily, it turned out to be the perfect antidote to this dragging day. I still have mounds of peaches to use...so if you have any favorite peach recipes, do send them my way!

Peach Custard Tart with Nut Crust

For the crust:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbls. sugar
1 cup flour
1 stick butter (softened)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and pour into pie pan. Using fingers, press the crust evenly around the pan and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
6-8 peaches, sliced

Once the crust has slightly cooled, arrange your peach slices on the crust. In a bowl, beat together eggs and sugar, and then pour over the peach slices, sloshing around the mixture to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the eggs have set. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve with vanilla ice cream!

Newport Weekend Escape

We had a false alarm this morning! Oh, I was so sure this was it...but alas, no labor in sight. Thank goodness for dear friends who rush over at 5am to take care of sleeping babes. It truly takes a village to support a growing family, and I am so lucky to count Elizabeth as one of my cherished 'villagers.'

Anyway....this weekend found us in Newport, for a quick overnight, as my husband was playing in a squash tournament at St. George's. I wasn't sure I would be up for an active weekend- but we found plenty to do that didn't involve too much walking! A lovely sailboat ride, a driving tour of the Newport Mansions along Bellevue Avenue, and plenty of good eats.

A few of our favorite things:
*the pizza at Pasta Beach
*every single item at the luscious natural skincare boutique Farmaesthetics
*brunch at The Spiced Pear
*the Cliff Walk for beautiful scenery

On our way home Sunday afternoon, we stopped for a picnic lunch at one of my favorite places, Sweet Berry Farm. U-pick peaches, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, plus a ride on a tractor. Pretty much the best day ever! And now, back home...we continue our waiting game!

When Panic Strikes

Yesterday I had one of those parenting moments that you always think will never happen to you. It stopped my heart, and turned my blood to ice, and for someone who is normally pretty calm and collected, I was surprised to find that I absolutely panicked. We're talking hysteria.

Here's the story.... I finally decided that I felt able enough to venture out of the house alone with little Vijay. If I could use only two words to describe my little one, they might be fast and fearless- so you can understand my hesitation at wanting to take him out into the great wide open, seeing as that I can't move very well. I decided we would drive to the campus bookstore, which he loves, and wait for my husband to meet us there after work. Simple enough.

We had a great time- we read books for about 1/2 hour, and played a few little games, when my husband called to tell us he was on his way. I told Vijay to pick two more books, and by the time we read them, DaDa would be there to meet us. When we finished our books, Vijay stood up from where we were sitting on the floor, and took off. It took me quite some time to get up and follow- from sitting, to kneeling, them hoisting myself up to my feet, and waiting for my back cramp to subside- and by the time I was ready to go, he was nowhere to be seen.

I started limping around, calling his name, getting more and more frantic. A minute passed. Two minutes. No sign of Vijay.

I hit the panic button with full force, grabbing the first bookstore employee I could find and screaming, "I can't find my son." She was wonderful- quickly locking down the entire bookstore and turning on the alarm. Every employee, and several customers began looking for Vijay- frankly, I don't remember any of this happening, I was in my own world of panic and tears. Meanwhile, my husband had just come in, and as soon as he saw my face, he took off for the second floor of the bookstore, knowing just what was going on. Granted- this is not a large bookstore- two stories, pretty contained. But I was having visions of Vijay being snatched, or having run out into traffic.

Perhaps four minutes had passed when I heard an employee shout- "He's here. He's been found." My husband had found him on the second floor, in the very back of the bookstore, making his way into the stock room. By this time, all eyes were on us, and I was sobbing as I took him in my arms. What a sight I must have been- super pregnant, super hysterical, clinging to my little guy, who was smiling without a care in the world, having no idea what all the fuss was about. All's well that ends well, I suppose, and this ended up being a pretty minor incident, all things considered, but it took several hours for my heart rate to return to normal, and for the tears to subside. I was weepy for the rest of the evening, thinking of what could have happened. I woke up with nightmares throughout the night, and had to go into the nursery and check on my sleeping boy.

I am learning that being a mother means a big piece of your heart is outside of your body, walking around the world, susceptible to danger. Heightened emotions, and extreme fragility are just two of the side effects of this. You hear mothers tell stories about losing their children all the time- usually told with laughter years after the actual incident occurs. I think it will take years before I can talk about this incident without tearing up. In the meantime, I'm holding my little guy close today, and thinking that perhaps a play day at home is just what the doctor ordered.

I'm curious- have you ever felt that panic when you thought you lost your child? Any stories you would care to share to ease my feeling of being 'the only one this has ever happened to?'

Pink Gooseberries

It has been a difficult week, both emotionally and physically, I will admit. I have been suffering from sciatic pain, nausea and contractions, all of which confined me to bed for the first half of the week. I miss spending time with my little one- it breaks my heart that I am missing out on these last days of ours together as a twosome. Luckily, I have an amazing husband, and a wonderful babysitter, both of whom have been helping out in shifts.

This morning, I took a turn for the better. Knowing I had a fridge full of farmers market produce, I decided it was time to make a nourishing breakfast treat for my family. They have been consisting on take-out and frozen leftovers- although they are no worse for the wear, this also breaks my heart.

Last weekend, I found these amazing pink gooseberries for sale at the Southside Community Land Trust farm stand. I wasn't sure what they even were, to be honest. But the kind farmer gave me a taste, and as the sweet tartness of the berry exploded in mouth, I envisioned a gorgeous muffin made with these little gems. I used this recipe from Joy the Baker, and used half black raspberries, and half gooseberries. I made two changes to the recipe- I used whole wheat flour, and added a sprinkling of sugar atop each muffin before baking. The result- a sweet, tart, wholesome snack. It's always easier to tackle the day ahead with a belly full of homemade baked goods!

38 Weeks

Still limping around, but we're getting there folks...38 weeks and counting! Have a lovely weekend, and enjoy all the beauty of this magical summer.

Calm, Cool Nursery

I am quite thrilled with how our second nursery turned out. I still love Vijay's nursery, and he is a huge fan of his room, and I appreciate the things I have learned from watching him interact with his space. I have found that for our family, less is more, even when it comes to babies and toddlers.

There are not many toys in Vijay's room- only his very favorites- and other than his crib, bookshelf, dresser and rocking chair, there really isn't much else. This seems to create a calming, clutter free environment- which I think helps promote good sleep. The one thing we do have plenty of...books! He loves to read now, and I love introducing him to new books, so we don't skimp on that department.

When it came to putting together this nursery, I kept it incredibly simple, and tried to use things we already had on hand. I love the result- it feels incredibly light and airy, simple yet beautiful. I hope our little man will love it as much as we do.

Vijay has been so curious about the changes in the room- he wants to get into the crib, and he is constantly peeking in, pointing to the crib and inquiring, "Baby?" Oh what a surprise awaits him...! Anyway, I would love to know what you think of our new space!

Nursery sources
Paint color: C2 Lichen
Crib: Ikea Hensvik
Large map: Ikea
Changing table (picture here): Pottery Barn Kids (Vijay's old changing table, originally bought on Craigslist)
Changing table knobs: Anthropologie
Rug: Dash and Albert, Seaglass Stripe
Felt balls: Multi-mix from Handbehg Felts
Bedding: An assortment of bedding, and fabric (from which I made pillows) that I already owned
Little rocking chair: gift
Paper lantern with garland: used this project!
Baby booties: Gifts from the lovely Karen, owner of our local yarn shop, Fresh Purls (seriously, the sweetest gift ever!)

Markets of Paris...a Giveaway

I made it out of bed briefly this weekend to pay a visit to our farmers market. Reason being- stone fruits are in season, and because of their brief growing season around here- I simply couldn't resist the opportunity to stock up on peaches, cherries, nectarines and plums (not to mention blueberries and raspberries). Elizabeth and I went together, and she supported me as I limped from booth to booth...a rather sad sight! We arrived before the market even opened, and scoped out the best offerings. We both left satisfied, market bags heavy with produce treasure.

The flowers seemed especially gorgeous, and although none of these bouquets came home with me, I was quite happy to capture them on camera. I really do think that markets are my most favorite photography subject.

Which leads me right into talking about Markets of Paris, 2nd Edition. I have only been to Paris once, after graduating from college, and I have been yearning to return ever since. It kills me that I hadn't yet discovered photography at that point in my life, and so I have no images of Paris except those that live in my memory.

What I remember most vividly are the markets, and when I return, I will do so with a dog-eared copy of Markets of Paris, the latest offering from my beloved publisher, The Little Bookroom. I received a copy to review, and found myself getting lost in its pages, dreaming of my next trip. I am thrilled to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a copy. Even if you don't have a trip to Paris planned anytime in the near future, you will thoroughly enjoy flipping through the pages, daydreaming about the market scene. Leave a comment here to win- any comment will do, but I would love to hear what market offerings you are loving these days. My top two would have to be peaches, and the first sweet corn of the season. Good luck!

Stitching

With my unexpected 'bed rest' I have found the time to finish a few projects I had forgotten about. This project resurfaced while I was cleaning out my studio, getting ready to start on the nursery. I found this beautiful, hand-pieced quilt square at Brimfield a few years back, and I bought it without a clue as to what I might do with it...I guess I just loved the idea that someone, somewhere had spent time picking out each piece of fabric, and hand-piecing it together...what a neat little piece of their history.

It occured to me while entertaining a few months ago, that we could use a few hot pads (I found myself setting down hot dishes on folded up dishtowels, effective but not so pretty!). I decided to hand quilt this square, back it with a durable swatch of vintage canvas fabric, and sandwich two layers of batting in the middle. The result is a nice, thick hot pad...which is getting more use as a showpiece on these hot summer nights when there will be no steaming dishes pulled from the oven!

Popsicles and Pain

I awoke on the 4th of July, swung my legs over the side of the bed, went to stand up and crumbled as pain shot from my low back down my left leg. I fell back into bed, and tried a few stretches, to no avail. I knew immediately that this big ole' baby I'm lugging around had decided to rest its precious head on my sciatic nerve. Oh joy. Over the course of the day, the pain stayed equally sharp, and I found myself unable to do much of anything. I am reduced to hobbling around, crawling up the stairs, and mostly laying on my side.

My dear husband has taken a few days off to help with our little guy as I attempt to sort this out. I found that swimming helps, and I have scheduled a prenatal massage to try and relieve some of the pain. We'll see. What I do know is that I am in no shape to be lifting and running after a toddler- hmmm, not sure what to do about that. Any suggestions, home remedies, helpful hints you would like to throw my way?

I did manage to hobble down to the kitchen and make some refreshing smoothie pops for my busy boys. This is a great snack- packed with fruit and protein- for hot days. I can't promise it will take your pain away...but it will bring you a few moments of sweet satisfaction!

Raspberry and Blueberry Swirl Pops
1 cup of frozen berries
1 banana
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
Splash of almond milk

Blend all ingredients together until smooth- starting with your blueberry smoothie. Pour into popsicle molds, filling halfway. Rinse the blender, and then make the raspberry smoothie. Fill the popsicle molds to the top, and insert stick. Freeze until hardened.

Squam Offering

One of my favorite jobs while working for Squam was having the chance to be involved with the launch of our online store. It is a unique idea, in that every month the store only offers one item for sale- a unique, one-of-a-kind item, made by a Squam artist, and available for a limited time only. Each item is exclusively made for Squam, and will never be sold elsewhere.

As you can imagine, there was quite a bit of back-and-forth with the artists to get everything just right. Once the final product was decided on, we would eagerly await the finished product, checking the mail every day for that special delivery. When the item arrived, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Elizabeth to style and photograph the items. My favorite part of the job, hands down!

I share this as a way of introducing these beautiful sachets- which are only in the store for a little while longer. We worked with the talented Heather Renz- her original fabric design graces the front, with beautiful, natural burlap for the back. You can choose between three words- quiet, light and woods- and the sachets are filled with an organic, all-natural pine filling. Click right HERE to buy a pair of your own. I have several in my drawers- and let me tell you- what a heavenly scent. These would make the most beautiful hostess gift- if you plan on doing some cottage visits this summer!

I am equally thrilled with the upcoming store offering- but while that is still a wonderful secret, I will leave you with a look at a few of my past favorites, so that you can see what you've been missing!