Saturday, December 21, 2013

On the 12th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...gifts for expectant moms!

On the 12th day of green gifts, greenberries had for me...gifts for expectant moms! For the expectant mom on your list, we have a great selection of items just perfect for the mom to be.

Milkies Milk Savers prevent crying over spilled or leaky milk, This handy and comfortable conatiner slips discreetly into your nursing bra and catches any milk that may leak out of the side you aren't nursing on. The caught milk can then be transferred to your preferred milk storage system and chilled or frozen, saving precious ounces and your clothes!

Pretty Pushers birthing gowns are a fantastically comfortable alternative to the typical hospital gown for the mama planning a hospital birth. With openings for easy nursing, electronic monitoring if chosen, and epidural placement if chosen, they're even more convenient than the traditional hospital gown, and certainly more comfortable and stylish. In several different colors and designs, there's something for every mama in this line.

Kangaroo Tubes are a fantastically stretchy and supportive shirt that allow for skin to skin contact in a cozy environment in those first days. With a unique design and stylish cut and color, these washable and stretchy tops lend to easy skin to skin and all the benefits that have been scientifically proven to accompany plenty of skin to skin contact in the early days.

With our expanding selection of the best of the best baby carriers, you can find something for every mommy in our carrier area. Brands like Tula, Girasol, Catbird Baby, BabyHawk, Ergo, Sakura Bloom, Boba, Maya Wrap, and several more, we're bound to have something the babywearing mama on your list is wishing for. Not sure what to get her? How about a consultation with one of our four Certified Babywearing Educators, or a certificate to a babywearing class of her choice?

Today only, our baby carrier stock is 10% off! That's an amazing deal on top brand name carriers. Come on in and get fitted for your new carrier with this incredible discount! Pin It

Friday, December 20, 2013

On the 11th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Learning through Play!


Kids are the masters of learning through play, it's their MO. I even hesitate to classify certain toys as "educational", because kids are learning through almost any toy they play with, but we've taken some time to gather some of our favorite learning play toys into a collection here for you.

We've got body and anatomy sets for little biologists both big and small, our Hape body puzzle is perfect for the toddler crowd, while our Janod body magnet set is more in-depth for the more advanced scientist.

Your little learner may be learning toward literary! The Janot Animo'Z alphabet cards on a ring are a great toy, very durable, and will last fromvery early developmentally for quite some time. With upper and lower case letters and animals to match each set, this is a fantastic set of flash cards that will stick together and clip easily onto a carrier, stroller, or activity seat, or free-float among the other favorites.

Uncle Goose is a brilliant block company, and each of their toy sets is exquisitely designed and executed. With block sets from Hebrew, Japanese, German, and Chinese, to blocks with the Presidents of the United States and many many more, there are small and large Uncle Goose block sets that will spark inspiration, hone language and critical thinking skills, build spacial reasoning, and just look awesome. These are the perfect unique gift for kids of any age...even those grown-up kids we all know.

Today only, Uncle Goose toys are all 10%! This is a great discount on an amazing brand. Pop in today and grab yours! Pin It

Thursday, December 19, 2013

On the 10th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me... Bathtime Baubles!

 On the 10th day of green gifts, greenberries had for me...Bathtime Baubles! Bathtime is fun time, and even moreso with these sudsy fun accessories that make fantastic gifts and are in-stock now at greenberries!

Dolphin organics has a whole line of bath and body products for bigs and littles, hair care, body wash, and more! With kits of smaller bottles to large bottles you can mix and match, these pampering suds are pleasing for the environment and the body.

BeginAgain toys has fantastically squishy bath toys, both tiny single bath buddies that make great stocking stuffers or gift toppers, or try them all in a squishy ball, for a larger gift. All have a very large drain hole, helping to dry them easily in between uses, and keeping them mold-free. 

The Green Toys Sea Plane makes quite a splash! With large floats to stay up and made from environmentally conscious recycled plastics, the sea plane is a bath time hit and drains just as easily as the other bath toys we've featured! 

Today only, Green Toys are 15% off! So come on in and check out the great finds!
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

On the 9th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...gifts for budding artists!


Our selection of "some creativity required" gifts is sure to leave you inspired and your little artists occupied for hours.

Our natural finger and poster paints by Wee Can Too are guaranteed fun for the littlest artists, and you won't need to spring into action when the paint goes in the tiny mouth, as it's edible and made from organic vegetable colors! Fun and vibrant, these are a great way to let the creativity flow with none of the worry.

Fair-trade natural stick crayons from Guatemala are a fantastic stocking stuffer and one of our favorites, these little bundles of crayons are a perfect stocking stuffer. The chunky build makes them durable and keeps the fun lasting.

Seedling DIY kits like build your own doll and make your own friendship bracelets are a great gift. Attractively packaged with activities for boys and girls alike, there are plenty of themes to choose from and these awesome kits almost wrap themselves they look so good in the package. :)

JaqJaq Bird Chalk mats and dust-free chalk are amazing, mess-free, and provide endless fun for holiday travel, be it by car, train, plane, or hot air balloon. (If you happen to be holiday traveling by hot air balloon, please take me with you. That sounds fun.) This unique chalk is buttery-soft and feels more like an oil-pastel, but writes and cleans just like old fashioned chalk. The flexible chalk surface rolls up and ties to keep organized, and wipes clean with a damp cloth.

With these and many many more options for your artists, regardless of age, there's sure to be some artistic gift at greenberries that will light up some smiles for your holiday gift giving. Today only, all Hape brand products are 10% off!


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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

On the 8th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Gifts for Mommies!

On the 8th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me... Gifts for Mommies!

Mom gifts are fantastically easy to choose from at greenberries, we've got something for every mom in stock and ready to wrap. Unique finds, locally made items, pampering and useful items alike that moms are sure to love.

Anna's Naturals herbal teas are a great gift for mamas, and with our expanded selection of teas for mamas who are nursing, weaning, in need of energy, or in need of relaxation, there is a tasty and healthy tea in a beautiful tin that's sure to hit the mark.

Scotch Naturals, the company behind our popular Hopscotch Kids line of natural nail polishes has a chic lineup of grown up polishes as well, and a fantastic natural polish remover to boot. These colors are amazing and versatile in matching a wardrobe, which is great for their long-wearing design.

Chewbeads accessories are great for mamas who have a child who is in the grabby/chewy phase. Now you don't need to give up accessorizing, just choose accessories that look beautiful that are also grab and chew safe. Chewbeads has bracelets, short, and long necklaces in different designs and color combos, you're sure to find something that matches her favorite top and can bring some of the fun of accessorizing back while pleasing a teething babe at the same time.

For our nursing moms there are many nursing accessories in our store, and a go-to is the selection of nursing pads available, from locally made to the top brands, there's a nursing pad set to meet every need, and all of them are cushy, soft, comfy, and protective.

With our expanding selection of the best of the best baby carriers, you can find something for every mommy in our carrier area. Brands like Tula, Girasol, Catbird Baby, BabyHawk, Ergo, Sakura Bloom, Boba, Maya Wrap, and several more, we're bound to have something the babywearing mama on your list is wishing for. Not sure what to get her? How about a consultation with one of our four Certified Babywearing Educators? She can get some one-on-one attention while trying out all our demo carriers, seeing how to fit them properly and find the one that suits her needs best.

Today only, all Chewbeads brand products are 10% off!

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Monday, December 16, 2013

On the 7th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Cloth Diaper Gifts!

On the 7th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Cloth Diaper Gifts!

Our cloth diaper selection promises you one thing: each of our diapers and diapering accessories has been picked from the best of the best, to ensure you're getting a quality product backed by us. Bringing in the best of the best in diapers and diapering products ensures that you're sure to find what works for you and something you love without having to weed through sub-par products or simply overwhelming numbers of options.
One of our favorite companies we're proud to stock is Sustainablebabyish by Sloomb. Just one feel of these cushy diapers will make them a quick favorite in any diaper stash. Paired with adorable woolie or PUL covers, their fitteds are fantastic!

Not sure what to get the cloth diaperer on your gift list? We've got stocking stuffer ideas galore at all the right price points! Wipes, wipe solution, CJ's butters, Econuts soap nuts, and rockin' green detergent options all make the right accessory gifts for the cloth diaper enthusiast in your life, whether you know the details of their stash or not. 

You can never have too many wet bags! We have amazing prints from Logan and Lenora, as well as several other companies and locally made work-at-home-mom brands in every size, print, and price point. 

Today only, you can take advantage of 10% off all our new, retail cloth diapers! So come on in and let us help you find your perfect gift, for the cloth diaper enthusiast in your life, or for yourself!
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Sunday, December 15, 2013

On the 6th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Newborn Gifts

On the sixth day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me... Newborn Gifts!

In those first few months it can be hard to pick a good gift. Most of the squish aged crowd don't have a wish list yet, but you still want to have something fun for gifting them.

Leading our newborn gift roundup is the Wubbanub, in smaller and larger sizes, these lovey animal friends safely and firmly attached to pacifiers are a hit for those who need a lovey and a paci at once, and combining them into one = easier to find, harder to drop, and just plain adorable.

Also a big hit are the Manhattan brand toys, the Skwish and the Classic Baby Beads. Developmentally appropriate from very early in the first year onward, they are bright, easy to grasp, non-toxic wooden construction, and  fun to manipulate, making them a hit well past the first year as well.

Aden + Anais products are soft, luxurious, and very supportive. Their swaddles, blankets, sheets, bibs, loveys, and more are fantastic, beautiful, and a great gift for a newborn, or a newborn soon-to-be joining us earthside, this is a very appropriate first gift!

Today only, Aden +Anais products are 20% off! So come on in and take a look at our selection of infant gift items! Pin It

Saturday, December 14, 2013

On the 5th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me... A Beauty Bar

On the fifth day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me... A Beauty Bar!

With more boutique accessories than I can count, there's definitely something for every style, age, and occasion in our selection of hair bows and headbands. Whether you're grabbing some of our stitched felt clips to make a fun and small statement, or finishing off a special occasion look with a large floral bow, or finding something in between, we have a look that's sure to help you complete your holiday ensemble in unique style.

Needing a piece of jewelry that has room to grow with you? Charm bracelets and necklaces are the ideal, and are the perfect stocking stuffer. With over 30 charm designs that clip securely on to the basic jewelry pieces, Charm It brand jewelry is fun and perfect for putting together a unique custom jewelry piece that suits your fashionista to a tee.

Poppy Drops are a fantastic temporary tattoo earring, and best of all, they are vegetable dyes and 100% artificial dye free. Water transfer makes them easy to apply, and the vibrant and mod design collections keep them a popular request item. We have them in several different styles and these make an amazing stocking stuffer that will keep on giving, with so many pairs per package.

We carry TWO brands of eco-friendly kids' nail polishes. Hopscotch Kids and Piggy Paints alike provide vibrant colors of nail polish that you can rest easy about, knowing that your kids are playing with non-toxic polishes that have all the fun and none of the worry from the drug store brands. Buy them in singles or gift packs, and don't forget the eco-friendly and non-toxic polish remover to boot! Assemble a large set as a gift, or grab a few to fill out the stockings!

Today only, all Anamalz brand wooden animals sets and toys are an amazing 20% off! These fun, durable wooden animals make a great gift with the larger set or a perfect stocking stuffer with the individual pieces.
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Friday, December 13, 2013

On the 4th day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Things for Little Engineers

On the fourth day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me... things for little engineers!

Whatever the age of your little engineers, we've got brain building and fun gifts for all the break it to build it and build it to break it types.

Have you ever been playing with your trusty wooden blocks and thought "gee, these blocks would be great with a little more science?"well the folks at Tegu heard your wishes and their magnetic wooden block sets are amazing! Challenge the way you've always played with wooden blocks, construct, engineer, and design away with expandable sets for every need.

Awesome Kidsonroof brand recycled cardboard building sets help you construct intricate creations in an eco-friendly and infinitely imaginative way. A great gift for your older architects, these sets run on imagination alone and are sure to inspire some amazing designs. If your engineers are more tike-aged, try a similar version in our chunky wooden 3D puzzles by Topozoo. Large pieces and sturdy construction make these easy for transitioning from flat puzzles into the spatial reasoning wonderland of 3D construction for little hands and growing minds.

Not quite ready for 3D puzzles? We've got loads of amazing 2D puzzles like our enormous floor puzzle for little hands by Janod, featuring an awesome robot! Whether you need a large floor puzzle or a smaller travel puzzle, we've got you covered, whatever the skill level or theme.

Perfect stocking stuffers? Flash cards like Yoga for your Brain, or some of our mini-books to keep your little scientists reasoning and questioning when they're not solving the world's great mysteries one block at a time.

Today only, in-store, all Janod brand toys are 15% off! We love Janod, and with a great selection of fun, quality, durable options for kids of every personality and age, there's something for everyone in our Janod selection.
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Thursday, December 12, 2013

On the 3rd day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Gifts for Little Fans

With books for little fans of our local Baltimore and D.C.teams as well as books for little sports enthusiasts of all ages, we've got a perfect gift for your little linebacker or just little fans of any size. What better way to learn your colors than with your favorite Major League or NFL teams? How else do you start your mini-fan's memory of team stats than through a fun board book?

Little one not a fan of any particular team? Sports not a part of your family's weekend ritual? No worries, we've got sports puzzles and Crocodile Creek mini-kickballs enough to keep even those among us who don't know a touchdown from a tackle in the sports themed gift department!

Today Only, all books are 10%! So pop into the store and stock up on these! Even if the little fans take some growing into them, you're sure to find a parent pleaser in this pick somewhere!


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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

On the 2nd day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Things That Go

On the second day of green gifts, greenberries had for me THINGS THAT GO! who doesn't love some things that go? I know at my house almost everything goes, and if it doesn't, soon the imagination has added wheels to that wooden sushi and now it does. Greenberries has so many things that go, it was hard to narrow it down, but these are some of our favorites.

Tiny things that go? For little hands, check out the EverEarth ramp racer! Entertaining for hours from a very early age onward, and very durable, ours has been through the ringer for 2+ years now and it's still going strong!

For bigger things that go, preschool age kids will love the Green Toys vehicles. Made from recycled plastics, totally phtalate and BPA free, they're durable and well made, sure to take whatever your tot can throw at it (or throw it toward). Busses, fire trucks, airplanes, tractors, trucks, and many more leave plenty of options for this affordable and green thing that goes!

Older kids will love Automoblox! Totally interchangeable parts make for a creative experience as you expand your set, whether you start with one of the larger kits or grab a single car as a stocking stuffer. Sturdy and streamlined, these cars have a wooden body and details out of metal and plastic. Awesome for letting your imagination go as fast as these hot rods around the track.

Things that go a little bit bigger? We've got a riding toy for each development level! little scooters will like the wheelie bugs, plush, cushiony, and fun to ride. A wooden tricycle for the tots, and older preschoolers will like the balance bike!

Pop on in today and take a look at these and other treasures! For today only, all automoblox brand toys are 10% off! Stay tuned for our next days of green gifts, we're just warming up! Happy holidays!

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

On the 1st day of Green Gifts, greenberries had for me...Mealtime Goodies



Needing a little holiday gift giving inspiration? Greenberries has you covered! Twelve days of our favorite gift picks, and many more in-store for you to discover.

For your little foodies of all ages we have a selection of snacktime, mealtime, and playtime fun that's sure to please your palate, whatever your tastes!

Lunchskins are the perfect accessory when food on the go is a must, from the smaller snack bags to the sandwich sizes, there's a reusable, easy to clean, and fun snack bag that will leave you wondering why you kept zipping the plastic bags so long. Grab a few to round out a stocking or a mealtime theme gift.

Needing some on-the-go solutions for even tinier little foodies? Then containment is the name of the game, and we have you covered! Lollacups are popular for a cute, durable, and spill-proof BPA and pthalate free straw-style sippy cup. Sili pouches are silicone sippers that are easy to clean and great as a no-fuss way to serve yogurt, applesauce, smoothies, and other snacks on the go while minimizing mess. Similarly, little green pouches provide the pouch style of the store-bought snacks in a reusable style 4-pack that will make your wallet and your family smile.  Our OXO brand snack cup contains small finger snacks in a tot and parent friendly cup, and may even cut down on the number of cheerios you find hiding under everything!

With full SkipHop place settings in a variety of themes you can mix, match, or anything in between, you can put together a great table setting  in a durable and fun theme that can serve you well as a gift choice or a necessity for family holiday meals. Lunchboxes round out the big kid selection, and we have so many choices for lunch boxes and lunch plates on the go, you have to stop in to see them all!

You can totally tell them to play with their food with the Melissa and Doug shopping cart, and our selection of play foods, both wooden and soft handmade. Durable play food and accessories never get old, for boys and girls alike. My son often cooks me up some wooden sushi with pizza sauce...hey, he might be onto something one day...

Today only, all Manhattan Toys brand toys are 15% off! These toys are great for keeping tiny hands occupied while you prepare a meal, or for anytime, really. Throw in a diaper bag, affix to a high-chair, or leave them in the play area, their bright colors and textures are a baby's delight and their quality materials lend peace of mind and durability. Stay tuned for our next days of green gifts! Happy Holidays!

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Banana Bread!



How delicious the house smells when you are baking in my oven!  No matter the season, I love banana bread.  Perfect to make when you have a ton of ripe bananas to use up!  With all of the little monkeys running around here, I hardly ever have any leftover bananas, but this week was an exception!  We had a generous donation of bananas for our Howard County 5K Fun Run this past weekend and had quite a few left. I have made a ton of banana bread recipes using the healthiest ingredients I could find, but “grandma’s favorite banana bread recipe” that my mother handed down to me is the hands down best. While it is not the tops in healthy ingredients, I doctor it up a bit to put my own healthy mommy twist on it. If you were lucky enough to come to our babywearing Party, you got to sample it! Here is the recipe for you to share with your family and friends.

What you will need~ ingredients:
§  2 1/2 cups ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
§  2/3 cup Raw sugar (Sugar in the Raw or Turbinado Sugar)
§  1/2 cup butter
§  2 eggs
§  1 tsp baking soda
§  2 cups flour
§  1/4 tsp salt
§  2 tsp Cinnamon
§  1 tsp vanilla
§  (1/2 cup chopped nuts if desired)

Toppings (you can use any of these mixed together and placed on top before heading into oven)
§  2 Tbsp Quick Oats
§  1 tsp brown sugar
§  1 tsp Raw Wheat Germ
§  1 tsp Chia Seeds (ground)
§  1 tsp toasted Oat Bran

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or mixer bowl, Mix bananas until creamy. Add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon. In small dish melt the butter. Add melted butter to bananas mixture. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add in eggs, salt, and banana mixture.  Cream these together well.
Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.  Pour in your banana bread mixture and place in the heated oven for 1 hour.
Check with a toothpick after an hour, baking longer if needed.  Pull when done, and allow to cool before serving. 



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Friday, December 6, 2013

Wrap Your Belly! Woven wraps for relieving late pregnancy discomforts

Woven wraps are many a parent's go-to baby carrier, but you can start putting those gorgeous wraps to good use well before baby gets here! Here are two techniques for using a shortie wrap to support a pregnant body through those changes that can be uncomfortable. Depending on your body type, a size 2 or 3 is most likely your best pick for these techniques, though slightly longer could work as well! These techniques could have a place in a difficult labor and birth too, if you have a support person, doula, midwife, or other care provider who can help decide if one of these techniques may be appropriate for your situation.



The Belly Lift 

 The belly lift is a great technique for when you just need to pick up all that extra weight in the front and support it for a while! I like this one for a baby laying on my bladder for what feels like all day, or for "tired" abdominal muscles. 

1. Start with your middle marker roughly at your belly button. You're looking to lift the lower half of your belly, so support it well by spreading and tightening the middle of the wrap over the lower half of your abdomen, to the hips. 

2. Bring your tails around behind you, and cross them in back. You can use them gathered or spread, whichever you find more convenient, both are shown in my fun photo collage up there. 

3. Tails come up and over your shoulders, and you pull down firmly but gently on them to apply the pressure that lifts your belly up a bit for you. 

4. Now that your belly is cradled nicely in the wrap and you can lift gently, you can either hold the tails like this as an active position, or you can tie off firmly between your shoulders, where I'm pointing in the photo, and leave it on for a while.


The Hip Squeeze (two knot variations)

 The hip squeeze is awesome for helping you feel "held together" when all that extra elastin coursing through your body makes you feel like a wobbly calf and leaves your hips sore and tired, and is even more awesome in late late pregnancy when there's a lot of pressure in your pelvis! There are two knot variations here, or, rather, a knot and then a continuation of the knot if you want some additional tailbone pressure to counter any pelvic pressure from, you know, a head in your pelvis.

1. Find your center marker, and gather the wrap evenly. Place this low across your hips, just under the tops of your hip bones. I say that as a starting point, you should be able to feel the tips of the tops of your hip bones above the wrap, and then go from there to find your own ideal comfort and placement.

2. Bring tails around back, and cross once to form a simple knot. Pull and tighten like crazy. You want this tight! Once you're satisfied with the tightness, tie a regular old knot, securely so you don't loose that magic tension that's providing the squeeze part. *be done! or......*

3. Wrap the knot tails around and around the knot, or tie more knots around the knot, creating a "bun" of sorts. Lean against a wall, sit back, or press with your palm down and slightly in, and experience tailbone counter pressure relief too.

I hope these techniques are fun and provide a little relief as you wait for your new squish to get wrapping in other ways! Whether woven wraps are new for you, or an old favorite, greenberries has lots of resources for you! Babywearing workshops are held monthly for level one and level two babywearers, as well as a whole free meetup monthly just for discussing, trying, and tying woven wraps. Join us for Wrap Geeks or any time in store to see our beautiful Girasol woven wraps in exclusive colors, thanks to our friends at Metro Minis in NYC. All event times are on our calendar in store and our facebook page events! Happy Wrapping!

Cortney Baca, MotherStrong is a local birth doula and one of the Certified Babywearing Educators on staff at greenberries. You can find her in-store there or via her website: www.motherstrong.com

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Still haven't sorted out holiday cards? No Problem!



Do you still need to put together your family's holiday card for this year?  To give you some inspiration, check out Jennifer K Photography's FREE Insiders Guide to the Perfect Holiday Card: What to Wear, What to Write, and Where to Print.



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Jennifer Krafchik, owner of Jennifer K Photography, has been a wife for eight years, a mama for three, and a professional photographer for two. Capturing life through her lens is one of her greatest obsessions and she looks forward to sharing this love with you each month. Keep up with her life as a mama to two little monkeys as well as her latest work and promotions by following her blog and Facebook page.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Easy as Pie: How to Roast a Pumpkin (the easy way)

Roasting squash has never been my thing. They're large, unwieldy, and rather rude when you're trying to hack them into bits with a knife. Add in how messy they are to scoop out, remove the stem, quarter and/or peel, and those cans of butternut or pumpkin puree sound so much nicer. I'm a sucker for the beautiful golden squash at the farmer's market or in the produce display, looking so lovely, and mocking me with their fall abundance. Every year I'd buy the pumpkins and butternut anyway, wrestle it into submission, and work it into my recipes, feeling satisfied at having won yet again, only a few bandaids on. I was mentioning this to a friend when she started looking at me like I had two heads. Having only one head, I asked what was up. She was incredulous "you cut them up BEFORE you cook them??" Well, yes. Didn't everyone? Apparently not. That day I learned there was an easy way. And I am here to tell you it changed my life.

Are you ready?

Roast them whole. Then cut.

Yup, it's that simple. I know, let it sink in. I was amazed. If anything, the flavor is even better, because they don't dry out while cooking.

1. Get your squash, be it pumpkin, butternut, kobucha, or otherwise.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F, and wash the squash in warm water.
3. Put the squash in a pyrex casserole or a cookie sheet, something with a lip in case it gets leaky in there, you don't want to scrub squash juice out of your oven, right?
4. Roast for about an hour, or until the flesh pierces easily with a fork
5. Remove, and let cool for a while until you can handle it. I often slice mine open partially to let it cool even faster, because I'm not one for patience usually.
6. Cut the stem away carefully, like you would a jack-o-lantern lid, only this time it's gloriously easy! (the stem can get brittle in the hot oven and threaten to leave pieces if you don't remove it first, that kills the buzz of a tasty custard...)
7. Scoop out seeds and "pumpkin guts"
8. Scoop flesh out of the skins.
9. Pat yourself on the back. You have roasted squash, and it was easy.

Use the fleshy bits to make a puree, or however your recipe calls for them. If you want a thick puree, reduce the puree in a saucepan over medium heat, the excess moisture will steam off.
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Monday, November 11, 2013

Guest Blog: Fall Family Portraits

The leaves are changing, it's cooling off, and that means we're officially in portrait season!  Many families want fall portraits, whether it's for Holiday cards or just to take advantage of the beautiful autumn colors! 

One of the questions I’m most often asked by clients is “what do I wear?”  And I’ll be honest, fashion isn’t really my thing.  In fact, I regularly send pictures of myself in dressing rooms to my sisters to ask them if what I’m trying on is cool or not (the answer is often no).  But, I do know what looks good in photographs.  

Do: Choose something you’re comfortable in.  When I had my family pictures taken by Whimsy Photography Studio (we met up at the beach and did a swap!) I tried coming up with a color scheme first.  But then I couldn’t find anything I was comfortable in.  I admit that I’m difficult to please clothing-wise.  So, I decided to start with my outfit choice first, and build my daughters and husband’s outfits around me.  I found a dress in my sister’s closet that I liked and built our outfits around that.
 


Do:  Coordinate, but don’t match.  Choose 2-3 colors or patterns that go together and go from there.

This is from Maria’s half of our swap and when I saw her family’s choices a couple days after mine, I was jealous!  I love how she incorporated the colors with everyone.  See how her necklace picks up the blue in her son’s and husband’s shirts, and her daughter has pinks in her dress?  Perfect!
I love how this family highlighted turquoise in their outfits.  It’s almost not noticeable, but it connects them without looking overly matchy.


Don’t: Wear a lot of white.  A little bit of white or cream in a picture can look nice, but everyone in white, or even several in white can give a glowing appearance.  The eye naturally goes to the brightest part of an image, and you don’t want that to be your clothing.  You want it to be you! On that note, try to avoid very bright colors in general.

Do: Consider the setting.  The clothing choices this family made were perfect for a summer beach shoot.  They’re light and summery!

Think about what the scenery is going to look like.  Are there leaves on the trees?  For fall, are the leaves going to be red?  Yellow?  Brown?  No leaves?  You don’t want to blend in or clash with your surroundings.  I love how the tones in the below pictures go with the settings.


Don’t: wear t shirts with large graphics or logos.  They have a tendency to look sloppy and can be distracting.

Do: incorporate textures and accessories.  Like everything, moderation is key!  You don’t want to wear a huge necklace, scarf, headband, large earrings, chunky bracelets, etc.  But yes to a cute scarf and headband!


Don’t: overdo it on patterns.  Some patterns are fine, but if one person is in stripes, another plaid, another flowers, another polka dots and so on, it isn't going to look nice.

Do: Ask your photographer for advice.  Please take the time to plan out your outfits.   If you’re making the investment in custom portraits, spend the time to put together a well-styled look.  It’d be terrible to be disappointed in your pictures because of a poor outfit choice.  As photographers, we want you to be happy with your pictures, and, on a more selfish note, it’s always great when we can use your pictures (with your permission, of course) in our portfolios. Well-styled sessions help make a good portfolio!  I am more than happy to discuss outfit choices beforehand, either on the phone or via email or text.  I’ve had clients send me pictures of outfits or potential outfits so I can offer suggestions.
There is no one “right” outfit or set of outfits.  Ultimately, the pictures are going on your walls, so if my suggestions don’t fit with your style, then you dress yourself and your family how you’d like to look!
http://www.joannarobbinsphotography.com/