Monday, Monday...

I am writing this while eating my breakfast of a German Chocolate bar (1 oz.) filled with a sweet strawberry yogurt and a cup of Earl Grey tea.

It's foggy and damp.  This is the best I can do today...

Project B's afghan is only about 2 or three more sections from being complete.  It is 40"x 40" now I'm shooting or 40" x 50".  My plan is to start on th border next week. Exciting! 

This past week was spent outside as much as possible.  We did have plenty of sunshine so B and I played at the parks after school and after dinner nearly everyday.  She can play! I love how she can make friends with any kid on the playground regardless of age.  Ahhh, Play, the universal uniter. Play is really an ambiguous discription. What happens is a game of tag or hide-n-seek. Nothing breaks the ice like running away. When they all get too tired to carry on, B turns the break into a business opportunity and starts her own ice cream or pizza joint. She'll employ enough kids to delegate prep and clean up, and she sells.  She'll  let the public know she is open for business and what she is selling by giving a big yell or going to personally invite parents and kids to her shop.  I'm usually the first customer as I am easily controlled.  "Mommy," she says, "You have to order a slice of cheese pizza then go buy the ice cream. Oh, and my name is Julianna."  Julianna makes delicious pizza.

Our dinners this week were pretty tasty too.  To start, we made a dumpling soup with vegetable stock, fresh veggies (that means carrots and broccoli in this house) and fresh rolls.  The dumplings were really homemade raviolis that I filled with minced veggies instead of cheese. 

 We love soup, so this was a tasty and nourishing dinner of all that  play.   We had savory crepes(same recipe I've posted before, but I cut the sugar down to just a pinch) with roasted corn and caramelized onions toped with goat cheese. B was surprised we could eat this for dinner as she likes them sweet and for breakfast.  

We made whole wheat Pasta Primavera with a rainbow of veggies that were just too pretty not to post about either.  

Those are sweet potatoes and purple potatoes that I roasted with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Delicious!

For our Friday night Mommy-n-Me night we made Eggplant Parmesan with Lemon Bars for dessert.  I (as always) used Martha Stewart.com for the recipes.  This is what we did:  

And for Dessert...

We rounded out the evening with a...

and...

Cheeky indeed!

I want to snap my fingers and have the house clean itself.  

Things I Love

Lemons-

They are pretty. They smell clean and fresh. You can clean with them, cook with them (civiche), candy them, drink with them. They brighten my day.

Hers too....

Wusthof-

This is our cat...

 

He's frequently in the background of our pictures or just underfoot.  He the 4th member of our family (but thinks hes the first).  He eats with us, sleeps with us and everything in between. He's a funny critter and we love him.   He was not feeling well this week and spent a couple of days on lock down.  He's better, but his illness reminded me how grateful I am for his companionship however strangely vocal, feisty and sheddy he is.

Sleepy little fuzz ball!

  

On that note I hope all is well with you and thank you for reading.

J

Weak Week...

Happy Mother's Day to all the momma's who read this.
This week B and I stayed our busy selves, she with school, me with mommy stuff.
I'm trying to get this blanket done by the end of this month.  I am close to finishing the body of it, but need to work on and learn how to apply a border.  Time is running out for my Jenkintown ladies to guide this process.
Home stretch!

As every parent knows (even non parents know it too) kids are picky eaters.  B is a "vegetarian" who tries to eat as few vegetables as possible.  My challenge is to teach her about good balanced meals within our diet and then get them in her.  So we have carrot pennies, or broccoli bushes with snow fakes (shaved parm.) or corn logs.  These are tried and true.  Add soups and pastas from scratch, fresh breads and there are lots of possibilities.  Throw in an egg and some beans and rice and we've got even more options.  But I tell ya, I'm running low on'um...ideas that is.  I need some inspiration.

This week to mix it up I made a puree carrot and ginger soup.  B ate one bowl with a "mah" response.  "Mah. Not my favorite", she says.  I of course completely disagree.  It was sweet with just a hint of zesty ginger. I made pasta with fresh pesto.  More Mahs.  We had fresh tomatoes with fresh smoked mozzerlla cheese and fresh basil (my personal fave), her response...you guessed it, Mah.

What is a mom to do with Mahs?

Our Friday night Mommy-and-Me night was Tangled and veggie dogs (I say Mah, she says pass the ketchup!), with fingerling roasted potatoes.  No mahs here.  But the desert of angel food cake, whipped cream and fresh fruit got an big ol' mah!

 Enough of this! I decided I would up my game in this department.  I added a 1/4 cup sugar to one cup water. Brought them to a boil. Added my blueberries and rasberries (1 container of each) and cooked it for about 10 minutes.

 Desert...take 2!

Her response...a clean plate.

Whew!


Things I love-
Motherhood-
It is the greatest thing I've ever done. It is challenging in ways I never imagined.  It is draining and energizing all at once.  B makes me laugh, dance, and play.  It is because of her I pay attention to politics, where we live, what we eat and the people we surround ourselves with.  It because of her that I want the world to be good and not just O.K.
I love being part of her growth,  and watching her change.  She has rationale now and uses it. She lays out  two sets of clothes for school because she's not sure which one she'll feel like tomorrow, but she knows she'll like one of them (right down to the shoes). She's working on her first novel she tells me this afternoon, and she wants to be an illustrator when she grows up too.
Even on it's worst days, being a mom is an amazing gift.

This is how we spent Mother's Day...

The Muppet Show
B and I rented the complete 2nd season from our local library have been reliving my childhood Sunday nights.  I forgot how great the characters are.  The grumpy old men in the balcony, the chickens and that wacky Gonzo, the blue guy who looks like a bald eagle, and of course Kermi and Piggy.  As a mother of a daughter who loves variety shows I have to say I think the Muppet show was the best (after Carol Burnett, Dean Martin, Sunny and Cher, Hee-Haw,the Gong Show, and of course Lawrence Welk Show).

Hats-

I have quite a collection from comfy baseball to page boy to wide brim.  A good hat gets you out of brushing and styling.  It can take an outfit from "mah" to "ah." It keeps protects and deflects (gotta love that).  In honor of the royal wedding last week and the derby this week...I love hats!

Thanx for reading....

Ho-hum...

So I'm posting this on a Tuesday and not a Monday (which is really suppose to be a Sunday night) because I just could not get myself together. We've been busy bees, just not really focused(which is not like bees at all I guess, and there in lies the problem).

I've been knitting like a fool  and am just over half way with B's afghan. That's right, 4 weeks of knit-n-purl and I've got lovely half completed blanket. I know that sounds sarcastic (and it is a bit) but I'm really happy with my results so far (really).  It is what I have come to do in the evenings.  I have been listening to books on tape and knitting.  It is so a  "Celebrate the Moments" commercial.

O.k. so no Jean-Luke, but you get the idea.

The food front these past two weeks two have been a bit lack-luster.  I'm hoping to remedy that during the next week. I'm feeling Thai-ish, Indian-ish...well exotic to say the least.
Over the Easter holiday(and B's spring break) we baked a bit and dyed some eggs.  B is getting pretty handy in the kitchen and likes to help.  I love it.

Making Easter Cookies

She's a baker...

Frosted and ready for eat'n

Because the weather has finally turned from glum to yum we've been outside a lot. We broke out B's big two wheeler for some cruising.  She was a bit rusty, but after a few spins around the ol' baseball field she was good to ride off into the sunset.  She even survived her first big crash (me too, though I'd like to never see the likes of it again!).  

As we were free from the house, we felt it only fair to let our beloved cat out too.  Now this sounds easy... just open the door and let him out.  Well I'm not that relaxed.  We live in a busy area and I don't want anything sad and tragic to happen to him(he's also prettier than he is clever) so it is a harnesses for him.  So when I said free I really meant free-to-walk-strapped-in-and-less-than-3-feet-away-at-all-times.  Who walks their cat on a harness? Well we lived in a small town were it was the law.  You could be fined if your cat was found roaming about.  What the...How the...Seriously??? So not wanting to break the law, we leashed the cat.  Long story short:  The Cat and the Leash

He digs it.  

Now for Things I love

Hair salons and Hairdressers-

Nothing like getting your hairs cut to make you feel fresh and new.  I love the stylists with their black non-uniform uniforms, fearless haircuts and colors, and interesting tattoos. I love the spinnability of the chairs. I love the funky music and trashy gossipy magazines.  I love getting my hair washed and played with.  When I leave the salon I feel like I've shed some old crusty, itchy skin to reveal a pretty, polished and perky me.  Then there are the products...oh we'll save that one for a later date.

Summer Clothes-
Specifically long maxi dresses or skirts and flip-flops.  I know we are technically two months away from the official first day of summer, and there are still some 60 degree mornings, but I feel pretty good about sporting a dress these days.  I wish it could be summer all the time...

Blue Cheeses-
O.K. I'm a vegetarian save the cheese and eggs (Lacto-ovo vegetarian).  It is the stinky, blue mold, creaminess that keeps me from being a full blown vegan (that and honey, good leather shoes or a bag, and probably some of my beauty products too).  I  have been putting the stuff on every thing this year.  This weeks indulgence were mini croissants with a sliver of Point Reyes Blue, strawberries and cracked pepper.  It's like two bites of love.

Youtube-
I post a lot of videos from this genius of a site.  You can watch vintage commercials,  your favorite childhood cartoons, the royal wedding, movies, craziness caught on film by accident or with purpose.  I fill my John Cusack, Patti Smith, Ministry, Knitting, Actors Studio, Julia Child, Cartoon Express needs there.  Good stuff. Good, good stuff.


Thank you for reading.

J

  

Spring Break

So B has decided she wants a dog and she's been pleading her case pretty hard.  She has stopped speaking "human" to me and will only speak "dog." In non-parent speak this means she barks.  Yes, barks.  I say,"B what would you like for breakfast?" She says, "Bark, Bark, Woof-Woof! pant, pant, pant." Rrrrriiiiggghhhttt?
She has been walking on all fours regardless of where we are (parks (at least till she starts to play), grocery stores, etc....).  She has stayed in character since Wednesday.  It's Sunday as I write this...
My only question; Is it wrong to feed her from a bowl on the floor?
My answer; Not if I eat there too...(sigh).

Spring break ends tonight.  This is pretty much how my week has gone.  We did Eastery stuff too but honestly I lack the creativity to write about it.

Things I love


School-
I never really understood the tone and desperation I heard in those women who spoke of their own children going back to school.  I used to think they were mean, shallow, out of touch with their kids.  Oh how wrong I was.

Silence-








Thank you for reading.

It's Raining. It's pouring.

Rain, Rain,
Go away!!!!
Holy moly has the weather been fierce around this place.  I was thrilled when I wished for the snow to stop and it did. I guess you really should be careful what you wish for. The bright side is perhaps there will be a really green summer. That bright side feels a little flat.

The knitting project has been going along at the same speed as last week (slow!). I've gotten quite far though. It is at least double the size of last week.  I've figured out how to minimize my mistakes and can fix them pretty quick. My goal is to have it done by the end of June. I'll have to learn how to finish the edges too. I've got to hustle as my June deadline is 65 days away (Heaven help me if I'm still working on that thing by then!).

Food front this week was not busting with the creativity it has had over the past several weeks.
I was hoping for a little inspiration from Gweneth's cook book (My Father's Daughter).  It was very similar to how I already cook which seems a bit weird to make a cook book out of.  If you are a GP fan then this is a good read.  If not (like me) it was...mah.
So my inspiration was...mah.  B and I stuck to rice and beans one day. The rice I cook in a veggie stock for extra flavor, and the beans were home-style baked bean with brown sugar  and butter. I threw in some corn bread for good measure on this one.  The other meals were...mah
We did go out for dinner on Friday date night.  B chose the Cheesecake Factory.  I can just imagine what she was thinking this place would be like.  Desserts piled floor to ceiling, being made from some machine like the factory in The Lorax...
B was set on pizza though, and that was what she got.  Except she didn't like it.  She ate a bit or two(for good measure) and decided ours at home was better.  I love my child! She did like the cheesecake (not a surprise, this kid has a sweet tooth).
The rest of the night was spent at home in B's beauty salon.  I sat and let her "make me up (I will not be posting those photos). " It's funny how she goes for the brightest blue in the collection.
We ended the evening in our prettiest dresses, in a makeshift tent made of blankets and chairs, watching Mamma Mia (again).  "I love our girly nights," she says...


This weeks Things I Love.

Babies-
Just got some good news that a friend is expecting her 5th lil' one.  They are a crazy lovable family and we could not be anymore happy for them.  This makes me think about how my baby is not a baby any more, but a little kid.  While I love her at this age, I miss her baby years.  The way she smelled, her laugh, the easy distraction by a shinny toy.  Babies are refreshing for life.  A sweet reminder of how good and uncomplicated  this world can be.

Case in point...

I love this video....

Jelly Beans-
Sweet bite sized treats in a rainbow of flavors! What is not to love.  I'm fond of Jelly Belly's (no gelatin).  I just tried a "series" call Ice Cream Parlor! Oh they are yummy in my...Jelly Belly of course!.

Starry Nights-
No, not Van Gogh's master piece (though I do love that too).  I mean the night sky.  It reminds me how small the world is and how big at the same time.  I could gaze for hours.


Scarfs-
I have a drawer full of them.  I love them for accessories.  I love them for warmth.  I love the colors they come in.  So dainty and feminine.

and lastly...

A Made Bed-
Weird one right? Well, I love looking in my room and seeing my bed is made and pretty.  If nothing else goes right in the day at least I made my bed.  I think it is a good way to start the day (consider it morning calisthenics) and should be considered part of  one's personal hygiene.  You brush your teeth, brush your hair, wash up, change your unders, and make your bed.

On that note, if you have not made your bed today there is no time like the present...


Thanks for reading and have a good week.

What a week...

This week was a sick week. B was down and out--which means I was too. We laid low and had a restful and sleep filled week.
I did work on B's afghan. That is more of the same.  It is getting quite big though.

We worked a bit on our German vocabulary. I of course gravitate toward manners first.  It won't do to be bad mannered in any language.  We've got the colors and numbers down pretty solidly. Going to work on the  alphabet and food this week  B is actually pretty good at memory and recall of terms  She brings me our little bag and flash cards to practice.  I have the makings of a lil' nerd.

Food front this week was a bit weak as you could guess.  We ate a lot of broth and bread and fudgsicles.
There were a couple of shining stars this weekend though...

One of them was an Omelet!!  I made my first french style omelet. Perfect yellow like butter and creamy in the middle.  Heehee it was good too.  And I am so very proud!!!!! B said it was yummy and creamy like a dream--(hee-hee).  It might have been the cold meds. talking but I'll take it.

Directions...

Try not to be distracted by Julia's amazing hair.

The other deliciousness that occurred this weekend was a marbled brownie.  I again used MarthaStewart.com and cooks.com for recipes and combined for one that worked well.  I wanted more decadence in my brownies too, so I added nutella to the cream cheese mixture.  Everything is better with nutella.

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room-temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Nutella/hazelnut spread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. Place 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar; mix to combine. Add 3 eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour and cocoa mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix).
3. Prepare cream-cheese mixture: Whisk cream cheese with 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of Nutella. Alternately spoon chocolate batter and cream-cheese mixture into pan; with the tip of a paring knife, swirl to marble.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I topped it with homemade whipped cream and mascerated strawberries (strawberries in sugar and balsamic vinegar).  
   
   
   
   
   Lastly...
   
   
   Things I love!
   Nutella-
   I do not care what you put it on, it makes it better. It is my favorite condiment. Chocolaty, nutty...oh so good.  One of my favorite ways to eat it is right out of the jar... no! I mean I like to dip pretzels in it.  B likes it in her hot chocolate.
   Sunny days-
   Is there anything better than warm sun kissing the skin.  So good and so good for you.  B and I would go out for short little stints outside this week, for fresh air and warm sun.  It made her "sickies" feel better.  
   The internet-
   I know that sounds dorky, but it has been my source of contact with far away friends and family.  I'm nostalgic like that.  We do not own a T.V. so I get my news and gossip (love the trashy tmz's and such) feeds from it.  I get music and movies from it.  Crafting and educational sources.  It is how the world works now.  My 70 yr. old grandfather in Florida uses Texts to catch up! WT...? Crazy world, I know, but the Internet keeps it organized and efficient.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   On that note...
   
   
   Thank you for reading.
   
   
   J

Ellipsis (...)

This week has been a ripping good one.  And by ripping I mean ripping out stitches...which I did most of the week (not annoying at all...really). My afghan project is proving to be quite a challenge.  I have gotten rather good at fixing my mistakes however.  This weekend I made some good distance, nearly through one whole ball of each color.  Knitting is just so exciting!

Our week here was very mellow.  It was too cold for fun outside, and I was too lame for creating fun inside (sigh).  The knitting was really the highlight of the week.  B would say things like, " Hey mom, how many rows did-ja get done today?", and "Wow... that sure is taking you a long time to finish that." Gotta love her.

Friday night rolls around and we are ready for some action, let me tell you.  So we pulled out our aprons (we have matching red and white ones), pulled back our hair and got down to business.  On the menu:  Pappardelle Pasta with Foccacia and Pineapple Upside-down Cake.

Ingredients:


Pasta:
2-3 cups All purpose flour
2-3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil

Instructions:
Dump your flour on to a clean dry surface ( I like put cracked pepper and nutmeg in to it). Make a well in the center.  Crack the eggs into the center.

With a fork scramble the eggs slowly adding flour from the sides.  Incorporate it as much as possible before adding more.  It will get goopy, then doughy.  Once it starts to come together like a dough, ditch the fork and use your hands.  Kneed the dough for a good 5-10 minutes.  It is a work out so don't just gently push it around.  Whomp on that dough.  Once it feels good and worked, or your hands are too tired to go on, shape the dough into a ball. Put a little bit of olive oil on your hands and coat the ball.  Put it in a covered bowl, or wrapped up some way,  and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  It will keep in the fridge for 3 days, safely.  Freeze it if it will not be used sooner, it'll hold up.
When you are ready to eat, cut the dough into quarters, or even eighths.  You want the pieces to be manageable. We often use a pasta roller to roll out the dough,but our counter space is limited and there is no place to hook it securely, so I rolled it out by hand.  Just be sure to lightly flour the surface and the rolling pin.  Roll it out to the thickness you'd like. Cut then dough into strips using a knife or rotary (pizza) cutter. Doesn't matter how wide.  I like an inch or two.  Drop them in boiling, salted water for about a minute or two( longer and it'll get rubbery)..  Drain. Season. Eat!!

This bread I've made before. This time I rolled it out. Divided it in half.  Spread one half with sharp cheddar. Sealed with the other half. Pinched the edges to make it pretty. Sprinkled olive oil and kosher salt on top. Marked it with a B and put it in 450 degree oven for 20 or so minutes.

Cake:
Once again I turned to Martha Stewart for guidance on decadence. (www.marthastewart.com and type in Pineapple upside-down cake).  I adapted the recipe slightly.  She used pecans...too fancy for this weekend.  We went a more traditional route and used unnaturally red cherries in syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 fresh, ripe pineapple, sliced, or one 20-ounce can pineapple slices
• Maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil and milk to the bowl and beat for 1 minute. Add the vanilla, egg, blending just until well combined.
2. In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the brown sugar around the skillet. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries on top. Pour the batter evenly over the top and bake for 45 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a circular platter.

TAAAAH-DAAHHH!!!!

Now to end with this weeks Things I Love list.  It'll be short but sweet.

John Cusack-
I love John Cusack movies.  I know this might fall under last weeks 80's and 90's movies but, I don't think so.
He's just so darn cool, not like those 80's and 90's movies (uh-hum).  He could totally be your best friends brother that you have an embarrassing crush on...or not.  I'm just saying his movies are good, o.k.


Used book Stores-
A good book store is... a treasure unto itself.  I gravitate towards ones in old buildings, that look comfy and a little dark.  It should have an old paper smell and bad carpeting. Tons of old tables for displays and questionable shelving of varying sizes. Oversized, well-used chairs for lounging...as I will. There should also be weird semi-social staff whose dress is non-conformist chique, who'll be dismissive of you till you ask them for their staff pick or to simply check out.  Lovely really.


The smell of fresh coffee-
I think it is one of the best smells.  








Thanx for reading...

grrrrrrrrrr...

J