Nibbles & Bits

Small bites from a life revolving around my sweet family, a love of cooking, and all things good.

I'm Ali. Email me at abkoper (AT) hotmail (DOT) com

For the record…

Just completed my first workout of Week 4 (i.e. the HARDEST) of Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30 30 day shred. I feel so good about getting stronger. This weekend we road bikes to the farthest-nearby park (preferred for its sandbox) and the hills were easier than usual.

I’ve also eaten really well, counting calories, with the exception of deliberate splurge meals 1-2 days per week. And? I’ve lost one pound. ONE POUND in close to a month (I’ve stretched out the previous 3 workouts a tad).

It’s bizarre. This is the least I’ve seen results from any diet I can remember, yet I don’t feel sick of it like I usually would by now. Soon we’ll be on a beach, eating guacamole and I won’t care because no one is looking at me except my loving husband…but I’m packing my running shoes because I think I might crave a workout or two.

Updated: I paid attention tonight as I started it and I’m doing Ripped in 30, not 30 Day Shred. Which the interwebs tell me is even harder. Because seriously!

Homemade chocolate “magic shell” on coffee ice cream This is my new favorite thing in all the world. We recently had friends staying with us who are gluten and dairy-free, and homemade magic shell atop mango sorbet made for an easy and delicious dessert that fit their needs. I read about it in the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream cookbook, but don’t have a copy so I Binged it. I’m not sure if this was her recipe, but this worked great - 1 1/4 cups chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (need to use dark chocolate for dairy-free, though I’d be my reco regardless) 1/2 cup coconut oil Combine in a bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, till melted. Doesn’t take long at all. You want it just above room temp. I put it in a squeeze bottle and have just popped the bottle in the microwave for about 30 seconds on low to turn it back to liquid.

Homemade chocolate “magic shell” on coffee ice cream

This is my new favorite thing in all the world. We recently had friends staying with us who are gluten and dairy-free, and homemade magic shell atop mango sorbet made for an easy and delicious dessert that fit their needs. I read about it in the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream cookbook, but don’t have a copy so I Binged it. I’m not sure if this was her recipe, but this worked great -

1 1/4 cups chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (need to use dark chocolate for dairy-free, though I’d be my reco regardless)

1/2 cup coconut oil

Combine in a bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, till melted. Doesn’t take long at all. You want it just above room temp.

I put it in a squeeze bottle and have just popped the bottle in the microwave for about 30 seconds on low to turn it back to liquid.

Winter panzanella AKA toddler crack  We had our favorite vegan toddler over for dinner the other night on a whim. I had been planning to make butternut squash lasagna that night, but that just wouldn’t do. I didn’t want to buy a ton of new groceries when we’d just stocked up for the week, so scoured the cabinets to see what could be made very easily with stuff we had on hand. I had to run out to buy a loaf of bread, but that was it! And here’s the BEST part - a new bean method. I now bake my dry beans without even soaking overnight. It’s amazing. Method here, and it works just fine with a stainless pot rather than clay. I assembled: 1 butternuts squash, peeled, cubed and roasted  about 4 heads of broccoli, chopped and blanched (could be brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc) a cup of dried cannellini beans, cooked (or 1 can, drained) 1 red onion, diced and sauteed (leeks would’ve been awesome, but didn’t have them on hand) a loaf of ciabatta, cubed, tossed with garlic, olive oil, salt (and parmesan if you wish) and toasted at 350 for about 15 or until crispy a white wine vinaigrette - dijon, a healthy pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, maybe a 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/3 -1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, whisked together And I lied, the true best part is that after the kids finished dinner, they went upstairs and played by themselves while the adults continued to (over)eat and drink sparkling wine. These glimmers of independence are startling yet thrilling.

Winter panzanella AKA toddler crack 

We had our favorite vegan toddler over for dinner the other night on a whim. I had been planning to make butternut squash lasagna that night, but that just wouldn’t do. I didn’t want to buy a ton of new groceries when we’d just stocked up for the week, so scoured the cabinets to see what could be made very easily with stuff we had on hand. I had to run out to buy a loaf of bread, but that was it!

And here’s the BEST part - a new bean method. I now bake my dry beans without even soaking overnight. It’s amazing. Method here, and it works just fine with a stainless pot rather than clay.

I assembled:

1 butternuts squash, peeled, cubed and roasted 

about 4 heads of broccoli, chopped and blanched (could be brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc)

a cup of dried cannellini beans, cooked (or 1 can, drained)

1 red onion, diced and sauteed (leeks would’ve been awesome, but didn’t have them on hand)

a loaf of ciabatta, cubed, tossed with garlic, olive oil, salt (and parmesan if you wish) and toasted at 350 for about 15 or until crispy

a white wine vinaigrette - dijon, a healthy pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, maybe a 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/3 -1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, whisked together

And I lied, the true best part is that after the kids finished dinner, they went upstairs and played by themselves while the adults continued to (over)eat and drink sparkling wine. These glimmers of independence are startling yet thrilling.

Mondays I indulge my fantasies and pretend I’m a stay at home mom (who happens to sneak in conference calls and PowerPoint during nap time). We almost always start the day very slowly, staying in our pajamas and eating dried mango on the sofa. Sometimes we go on adventures, sometimes we stay in our backyard, and I’m always struck by Ryan’s growth. Something about the quiet, one on one time allows me to see just how much he changes every week. This week I noticed he said “remember” a few times, and as far as I can recall for the first time. He really understands concepts, not just actions and things. Another thing, he is BIG on making up songs, often while strumming his guitar, and usually as we snuggle before bedtime. He suggests a topic and we come up with lyrics which tend to make him giggle. I love our weekends as a family of three and wish we could do that every day, but there’s something so special and intimate about our Mondays. Update: Put a bird on it. I just noticed the bird pajamas against the bird toss pillow.

Mondays I indulge my fantasies and pretend I’m a stay at home mom (who happens to sneak in conference calls and PowerPoint during nap time). We almost always start the day very slowly, staying in our pajamas and eating dried mango on the sofa. Sometimes we go on adventures, sometimes we stay in our backyard, and I’m always struck by Ryan’s growth. Something about the quiet, one on one time allows me to see just how much he changes every week.

This week I noticed he said “remember” a few times, and as far as I can recall for the first time. He really understands concepts, not just actions and things. Another thing, he is BIG on making up songs, often while strumming his guitar, and usually as we snuggle before bedtime. He suggests a topic and we come up with lyrics which tend to make him giggle.

I love our weekends as a family of three and wish we could do that every day, but there’s something so special and intimate about our Mondays.

Update: Put a bird on it. I just noticed the bird pajamas against the bird toss pillow.

Friday at 5:20pm, I’m home with Roscoe awaiting my boys’ return from haircuts and errands.

There are yellow flowers on the table, which Steve says Ryan chose just for me while they were out earlier today.

Roscoe is unbelievably fluffy after a haircut and a bath today (all three boys needed a trim!).

We’re so close to Mexico, and planning a trip to Carmel soon after. We’re staying at this gorgeous spot.

Fantastic girls night last night has left me feeling refreshed. As usual, we closed down the restaurant, and then stood on the sidewalk in the freezing cold continuing our conversation.

Life can be hard, I’m worried about a dear friend, have trials ahead of our own, it’s been a long week in a lot of ways. But, life really is sweet when love is abundant.

I’m DYING! Steve has been sending me photos for the past 20 minutes of - surprise - Ryan on ice skates! They always do something fun on Fridays while I’m at work. Just wish I were with them! I’ll update once I hear what Ryan thought of the whole thing.

UPDATE: It was a hit! Ryan had so much fun and talked about it all night. Steve mainly had to hold him up (good thing he’s from Boston and they teach them young there so he can skate backward!), and sometimes Ryan just wanted to be held while Steve skated. But he LOVED it!

We had a weekend of this. Ryan was a sweet little host for our out-of-town friends, including Baby Lincoln. Before Lincoln arrived he decided which toys he’d show him and told me he’d share. More so than when we last saw Lincoln in September, Ryan wanted to hold and play with him and monitored his every move. 

We had a weekend of this. Ryan was a sweet little host for our out-of-town friends, including Baby Lincoln. Before Lincoln arrived he decided which toys he’d show him and told me he’d share. More so than when we last saw Lincoln in September, Ryan wanted to hold and play with him and monitored his every move. 

This morning I gave Ryan an important education in life in the pacific northwest. There is no better way to spend a grey morning than in a coffee shop, reading a magazine and sipping something warm. It was so cute watching him flip through the pages of an ESPN magazine left on the table, sinking into the big sofa and slowly sipping his extra-cinnamon hot chocolate. His dad would’ve been proud. While looking through the magazine he kept saying “I wanna see the Pats.” And yes, we take construction cones with us wherever we go.

This morning I gave Ryan an important education in life in the pacific northwest. There is no better way to spend a grey morning than in a coffee shop, reading a magazine and sipping something warm. It was so cute watching him flip through the pages of an ESPN magazine left on the table, sinking into the big sofa and slowly sipping his extra-cinnamon hot chocolate.

His dad would’ve been proud. While looking through the magazine he kept saying “I wanna see the Pats.”

And yes, we take construction cones with us wherever we go.

Though I’m at the office, I’m thinking hard about my little boy and loving him fiercely today. He’s in such a good spot right now and I wish I were home to fully enjoy it.

When you become a mom, people tell you that whatever your kid is doing, don’t get used to it because it’s a phase. This is usually meant as a reassurance. Not sleeping through the night? It’ll pass. Hitting? Just a stage.

The tough part is this knowledge stays with you when things are great. Which they are right now. Ryan slept past 8am today! He went to bed happily right at 7:30 last night and didn’t make a peep till the morning. This is not the norm for us and usually we feel lucky if he sleeps till 7:15. Also, he’s been so easy going. Nary a sign of the usual resistance to things like putting on a jacket or pajamas (what is it about jackets and pajamas that are so objectionable, by the way???).

And most of all, he’s just adorable. This morning he asked me to sit down with him for “just one minute” before I left for work. Then when I got up he said “I want a big hug!” I gave him one, I told Steve I wanted a big hug and gave Steve a kiss. At which point Ryan wanted a big kiss, too! Steve IMed me earlier during naptime to ask what we’re having for dinner. Ryan had told Steve “I want a special dinner” earlier. Steve asked what he wanted and Ry said “peppers.” This was after telling Steve he wanted to spend the day “doing errands.” So specific. :)

I don’t want this easy time to end!

I’m seriously opposed to waking a sleeping child, but child, it’s 7:45! I’ve gots to get to work.