2014 Bloggin' Mama Social

Thanks to Free Fun in Austin, I got connected with LiveMom and Orange Wall Collective, leading to both the See's Candies event I attended Thursday night and the great Bloggin' Mama Social I thoroughly enjoyed tonight.

The event was held pretty much right on the river at Alta's Cafe, so I got to ride my bike! I don't mind telling you that I was a little nervous. I rode over 10 miles in a stretch two weeks ago, but since then, I've grown a lot in the general baby area, and the last couple of rides I've taken have been significantly more challenging. I'm pleased to report that this was no problem, especially getting there, as it's mostly downhill.

Overcast skies, I presume, and a chillier-than-the-past-few-days temperature meant I didn't have to share the trail with much of anyone.

Under the First Street bridge. This is the first time I've seen it from the north side of the river.

Alta's Cafe is located in the Waller Creek Boathouse, and is a lovely place to sit and watch the action on the river. 

If you're on the Ladybird Lake trail, on the north side of the river just east of the Four Seasons Hotel, you'll see trail signs for the Waller Creek Boathouse. You'll know you've made it when you see this thing:

Conversely, if you're downtown, just take Trinity south until it ends. Literally. There is probably some parking around there, but you really should just walk or bike. It's beautiful, even on a cloudy day!

Plus, if you get there at the right time, you can watch the rowers coming in for the evening. They all put their boats up on stretchers, hosed them off, then stacked them for storage for the night. 

As the event started, I met a former homeschool mom who has a cultural event blog. It was fun talking to her before I took my seat at a table and started in on the food.

The cheeses and bread are from Alta's, but the brownie was a gluten-free one from Peoples RX kitchen... and I have to give them props, because most gluten-free stuff eventually breaks down and tastes like moist sawdust to me, but this brownie was delicious.

Meanwhile, sharing my table were three other interesting women. Araya Hildara has a Spanish-language About.com section on pregnancy and childbirth, and she blogs on the site as well. Her friend, Gisele, a midwife, was with her. Gisele is just starting on a blog about raising children naturally. Finally, Cheryl Carey, founder of Taste and See Healthy Baby Food, is working on raising funds to give gift cards on Mother's Day to the moms who are in engaged in the family support services with Any Baby Can of Austin. Any Baby Can is a great program, and our small group adopts a family at Christmas. If you can help contribute, click here and write "Gifts for Moms" in the comment box. Also, I plan to take Cheryl's baby food class some time early next year! She has a couple of group classes a month, so check out her website.

These are the first treats I've had from Baked by Amy's. They were good, but apparently the pecan bars were the awesomest, because when I passed the table later, willing to try one because of the rave reviews (I don't typically like nuts in sweets), they were *gone*! 

Catherine Prystup, hostess, and Michael Swail, co-owner of Alta's Cafe.

Michael explained that they'd just opened this outdoor venue during one of the coldest winters in Austin history. You should totally go check it out, now that it's nice, though. Besides, check out their menu from the link above. Good stuff! I can personally vouch for the cheese part of their charcuterie plate. The meat stuff looked delicious, too, but is off-limits to me in my delicate (giggle) condition. As was the sustainable wine and the local craft beer. But I can't wait to go back and try it all very soon.

Mike McDonell of Kidventures Camps, a sponsor of the evening.

Pro blogging mamas panel.

Hilah Johnson of Hilah Cooking

Shellie Deringer of Saving with Shellie

Wendi Aarons, freelance writer and blogger

They were all insightful and interesting, but I won't go into detail here. Lots of stuff to think about, though. It was very neat that people actually care about local businesses and local bloggers and how we can help each other enough to put on an event like this. I loved meeting moms with totally different perspectives than I have, and seeing what a wide range of interests and passions we have.

About the time I decided it was time to head home before it became completely dark, it started pouring rain! Fortunately, I don't melt, but I did get pretty drenched. After my shower, though, I was rewarded with being able to riffle through the swag bag all attendees received. We have some awesome businesses around here, and I cannot wait to try the Daily Greens juice tomorrow morning!

James and I laughed because of the contents was a Cutie in a clear cellophane gift bag, tagged by McDonald's. They're trying, gosh darn it. But you can be sure that I will use the free small smoothie gift certificates!

There were door prizes given out at the event, too. I might have won a night at the Omni Downtown (where I paid half price to stay once, thanks to Hotwire.com), or a $50 gift card to a local fine dinery, or even a gift basket from Terra Toys. Instead I won this. And, yes, I will be reading it tomorrow. I like to start my week off inspirationally.

See's Candies North Hills pre-grand-opening Blogger Event

Dallas has 'em; San Antonio has 'em; Houston has 'em... Heck, even Killeen has one! But Austin's first See's Candies officially opens tomorrow, April 4, 2014 at 10710 Research Boulevard, or 4815 W. Braker Lane, depending on which source you trust (it's the same place, regardless). Should you try to get there in the morning at 9:30 for the grand opening? Yes, of course! If you don't, should you go any time tomorrow and spin a prize wheel and enjoy a free sample? If you know me at all, you know the answer to that. If you don't make it tomorrow, should you go sometime, anyway? Just keep reading and decide for yourself.

The shiny new storefront, located conveniently next door to H-E-B, which would be dangerous if that were my regular grocery store.

Although the grand opening is tomorrow, See's had a soft open today, and then after closing hosted some bloggers (many of us either with babies or expecting!) to introduce us (or reacquaint us) with their product.

Having lived in Las Vegas, I came into contact with See's quite a bit. There are nearly a dozen stores in the area, conveniently located in malls as well as casinos. In Dallas, I only remember seeing the one at Stonebriar, but there are several others. I was excited to learn that a See's was coming to Austin!

Not just because the first thing that happened was that they shoved a square of dark chocolate chocolate chip candy into my hand, although that certainly helped. But, listen, this is not special treatment. Each time you visit See's, you can get one free sample of your choice. Don't be shy! And don't always try the same one. Live a little, folks.

If I might be frank (speaking now in a male register), I was a little disappointed with the Austin chocolate scene, especially because I found some really cool stores in Dallas and expected more here. Sure, you can buy Dallas-based Dude, Sweet chocolates at Whole Foods, and that's cool. We do have local artisan chocolates like The Chocolate-Makers Studio and Delysia available in my very neighborhood at Breed and Company. You can also get local chocolates at some coffee shops, and in cafes... but I was expecting at least a couple of good walk-in chocolate shops when I moved here.

For the record: Yes, I know about Big Top and Lammes. I like Big Top for what it is -- which is a fun, funky candy store and soda fountain -- but they don't have *great* chocolate. And Lammes, honestly, smells like my great-aunt's house and their stuff is overpriced and tastes generic to me. Sorry, Austin natives: eat some Crack in the Box and drink some One Night Stand Potion, and then try to tell me that anything in either of those stores compares to it.

But I digress.

All of that angst is abated for now, because...

Walls of chocolate. Not fast chocolate, mind you. Good, actual, no-added-preservative chocolate.

They have a huge variety of product, and we purchased a box of the Molasses Chips. I didn't try any of the things on this wall, but their sugar free products have consistently high ratings on their website. Personally, sugar alcohols do a number on this lady's digestive system (probably because I don't tend to see 1 as a serving, but as an appetizer), but if you're diabetic and have an insatiable hankering for dark almonds, it's good to know you can get some.  

James and I both drooled over the Toffee-ettes, but we decided to save those for later.

James, enjoying the constant samples and eyeing the product.

I really should stock up for the fall. According to Chantal Coady, owner of Rococo Chocolates in London, in her book "Real Chocolate": "Chocolate is... used as a homeopathic remedy, indicated for feelings of hostility, especially when mothers feel anger and frustration toward their offspring. The effect is to restore the nurturing mother side and to promote a general sense of well-being." So, basically, a box or two from this wall is my post-partum prescription, right?

Fun treats for teachers.

We were invited to try whatever we wanted, but I never got around to this one. That'll be my sample next time!

Similar to jelly beans, but with non-pareil coating instead of a hard sugar exterior. They were gummy. Very tempting.

Besty, a delightful woman apart from the fact that she kept insisting we try another piece.

Soft, buttery walnut squares.

I thought this was particularly lovely, and we learned later that the icing on the Easter eggs is hand-piped. Also, for this particular egg, the Rocky Road filling is hand packed into the mold. My guess is that it's too thick and unwieldy for a depositor. 

This. This was my favorite chocolate of the night. I didn't know what "firm brown sugar" meant, but now my mouth does. The filling is creamy, but the sugar is also softly (and pleasantly) granular. For maximum enjoyment, I recommend halving the piece, positioning it with the chocolate on the roof of your mouth, and then tongue the filling. That sounds weirdly sensual, I know, but a true Candyfreak will appreciate the effect garnered by this maneuver.

If you go to the grand opening tomorrow, you will receive one of these with your purchase. What struck me about this collection was the ingredients list on the back. You'll notice that there are five different items in this box.

Notice how few ingredients! And except for soy lecithin, you probably have every one of these things in your kitchen right now! Okay, you might not have cocoa butter in your kitchen, but it's possible that you have it in your bathroom or make-up bag.

There were regional and district managers in the house, as well as marketing and store management. We learned several things, many of which you can read on the See's website. However, I think it's incredible that the company goes through twelve million pounds of chocolate per year (a description of the Guittard tankers delivering chocolate two trucks at a time with a third waiting in the parking lot across the street is included in the delightful See's Famous Old Time Candies book each attendee received).

Natalie, discussing the history of the company.

After we'd gotten caught up on the See's Candies company, which will be 100 years old in seven years, we were given a fun and maddening challenge. In 1952, an "I Love Lucy" producer contacted a See's facility in Los Angeles to get some help with an upcoming Lucy episode. Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance spent time there, learning how things were done, and the result ended up being the most popular episode of the show's entire run.



Our challenge? After a brief tutorial, see how quickly we could box a 12-piece assortment. We didn't have to wrap, but used the chocolate "cups" typical of candy assortments, picking up the chocolates with wax paper. We competed four at a time.

Coordination and manual dexterity is not my strong suit.

I started strong but finished with a pppft. One of the other ladies bested us.

Still, we all won. We got to take our box home.

While I definitely did not win the speed prize, I did do my box "right": 12 pieces, 3 of each of four varieties. James, on the other hand, just kept cramming candies into his box until everyone else had their boxes sealed and it was the next group's turn. See if you can tell which box is mine and which is James'.

After our contest, we were invited to request samples of whatever we wanted. Also, we were able to purchase candy, and indeed we did.

So many choices.

I tried this Apple Pie truffle, and it was good... but the white chocolate is so sweet without the bitter cocoa to balance it out, that it, believe it or not, pushed me over the limit and I was done with candy for the night. It was delicious, to be sure. The filling reminded me of the interior of a cake ball, as though it were a crumbled up apple pie piece with the crust and all. I will stick with the legit chocolate from now on, though.

We had a very fun, very tasty, very original night, and I can't recommend See's Candies highly enough. There's a funny bit in the book about how Godiva tries to capitalize on its European heritage (likely to justify the $3.85ish per truffle they charge), but points out that Godiva USA is actually owned by the Campbell Soup Company and that the chocolates are manufactured in Reading, Pennsylvania, by its bakery division, Pepperidge Farms*. See's was born and raised in California (via Canada, and it's really a providential story about how the Sees ended up migrating to the United States), and their candy is every bit as good as Godiva's, and is less than half the price.

A pound of Godiva assorted chocolates will run you approximately $55, whereas the same amount of See's Candies is $22.50 (up from $.50 during the Depression). So go get some! Enjoy a sample first. And if you want to swing by the Nuthaus to pick me up, I'll be glad to go, too.

Swag!

*The book was published in 2005. In 2007, a Turkish company, Yildiz Holding, bought Godiva Chocolates. They're still made in good old Reading, PA.

Following up, now that everybody knows

For those of you not connected with me on Facebook, Tuesday, we let our friends know that we're expecting a baby. Since that time, I've been asked a few of the same questions, so will answer them here. If you have any others, feel free to chime in. :) Mostly, I feel very blessed by the well-wishes of so many people, and sort of surprised at my friends' restraint, for the most part, with the whole "not making fun of me because it really was a toss-up about whether this was menopause or a baby" thing.

1) We didn't tell people earlier because our ages are a risk factor, and we did just have a miscarriage last year. Until we were past the first trimester, we didn't want it widely known. We did have some pretty awesome people praying for us fairly early on, though, and for that, I'm extremely grateful.

2) Daphne is an only child and has always relished that role. Last spring when I was briefly pregnant, she had a very difficult time accepting it, but eventually grudgingly did. She started off there this time, so we were already ahead of the game. I have no doubt that in the years to come, she will grow to love her sibling. It's okay with me that she's not over-the-moon excited; all she knows of babies is that they're noisy and they keep weird hours. I get it. I know this first hand and chose to have another one. She didn't. Within Team Dave's, we have the freedom to have various feels, as long as we keep it respectful and remember that we *are* a family, whether we always like it or not. :) The other day, she told me, "If you guys have a third kid, I'm leaving." I asked her where she was going to go. She said, "I didn't say I had a plan. I just said I was going." I love that kid. And, if that happens, I might join her.

3) 41. 42 when it's born. 60 when it's legally an adult (I know this because, despite my theater major, I can do some elementary maths). Yes, many of my contemporaries are becoming or are somewhat experienced grandparents. Yes, this makes me think we might be a bit crazy.

4) We have the anatomy scan next Wednesday, but James doesn't want to know the gender so we probably won't find out. But please pray for a normal scan; this is the one big reveal after which I'll feel so much more relaxed, enough to start buying things we're going to need. We have heard the heartbeat at the last three prenatal visits, and we did see the heartbeat and what was allegedly the baby (but I'm no radiologist, and it didn't look like much to me) at an early ultrasound. You can read all about the action so far by going back in the blog to January or by clicking on the "pregnancy" tag so it will pull out all of those entries. Also, I've kept a periodic vlog, the playlist for which is right here on YouTube

So, there you go.

Now back to our normally-scheduled blog.

As I mentioned last time, although I *wasn't* showing, everything has started happening pretty quickly. In fact, I took a picture of myself on St. Patrick's Day (one I put up on Facebook on April Fool's Day, as "proof" that I was expecting... although it truly could have been a low-slung pizza overeat at that point) because I'd gotten an email that morning that included the information: "Your baby will double in size over the next four weeks."

Monday, I had worn "normal" clothes, but my skirt was hiked up about 4 inches above my natural waist, because there wasn't any "give" there... and I still had band marks. So that night, I switched my closet out. I'd bought a whole summer wardrobe worth of maternity clothes on Zulily and it was time. Oh, man, I never want to go back! I've been *so* comfortable the past few days! Today I'm wearing a dress with an empire waist and it doesn't pull anywhere. Yesterday, I wore denim shorts that look for all the world like nice jean shorts where it shows, but are like sweatpants where it counts. Plus, the longer lines of maternity shirts suit my short-waisted frame, so after the pregnancy, I might become a permanent leggings-and-flowy-long-shirt lady.

The only thing I still need is... Well, first, here's a warning: If you're a dude, you might want to go create your own comic here. For those of us still here...

Saturday, we went to the Sherwood Forest Faire. I was wearing a dress and, at some point, because I left my purse in the car, had both hands laden with purchases and food and my camera, etc. James and I were walking back to where we'd left Daphne and TJ to eat their turkey legs when I realized that I was losing my drawers. They were succumbing to gravity, what without a waistline above protruding hips to hold them securely in place.

I told James what was going on and swore, "If they fall off, I'm just going to kick them over there, so keep walking."

That's when I decided that I needed to purchase some over-the-belly maternity drawers. Well, I went online to shop and, can you believe it, all of the underpants on Motherhood are under-belly or fold-down bikinis? Um... no. I found six pair I liked on Amazon.com... then realized my cart total was $118. I'm only going to wear them for a few months! What the heck?! So I don't have a Plan B yet, but I'm working on it. For now, you'll have to excuse me if I'm wearing a skirt or dress and do a lot of "hiking."

Yep, that's the exciting status of the pregnancy at the moment. Today, I'm working (with my feet propped up to avoid edema) and getting ready for a super hot date I have this evening! The See's Candy Blogger pre-grand-opening event is tonight, so be watching for my other blog's post on that tomorrow!

Blue Note Bakery's 10th Anniversary Party

Last night, Daphne and I got to go to Mercury Hall to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Austin's Blue Note Bakery. Blue Note Bakery is located on South Congress, just south of Ben White, in the light industrial park where my church used to meet.

For Valentine's Day 2013, I got James their "I Love You Very Much" cake, and Daphne their incredible, sophisticated s'mores.

We were excited to get to celebrate with Angela Jiles (who was very busy) and her family. In the entryway, she had a timeline and pictures chronicling a brief history of the bakery. She was working from her home when she got her "DBA" on April 1, 2004. She hired her first employee in 2007 and moved into the location on Congress the next year.

I love the story of a small business built on hard work and quality product! Here are some pictures of the evening.

The grounds are gorgeous at Mercury Hall. We were even greeted by a black cat('s butt) on our way in.

Daphne in the mostly-empty hall. The balloon sculpture was under a vent and appeared to be dancing.

Timeline, a greeting card, and delicious chocolate swag bags.

Crema Bakery and Cafe had a "real food" table and this delightful sweets setup. Their chicken salad was creamy and red-onion-y, so I loved it muchly. On Facebook, they post pictures often of their cafe features, and the soups look amazing. This is further south in Austin, really near where my sister lives. It's probably good that we don't live quite as conveniently close. 

As far as my favorite thing from this table? The salted caramel cake balls (the white ones). They were soooo salty and the cake was moist and not too sweet. Daphne liked the double chocolate cake pops best.

After a while, Angela put out a couple of cake bars, so I snatched a slice of that, too.

The perfect icing-to-fondant ratio. :)

Mercury Hall itself is a lovely venue, and the decorations were fun. For this party, there was a DJ and a photo booth. Unfortunately, when the DJ started playing a dance mix of "Let It Go," my date decided that it was time to leave. 

Happy birthday, Blue Note Bakery!