The couple that Crocs together...

 

The first floor of our house has laminate flooring.  It's great for kids because it cleans up easily, but it's hard on us old folks (Did you know we'll be turning 29 next year?- yikes!).  Between cooking, baking, and washing dishes, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  All that standing around makes for sore feet and knees (wer're old, remember?).  I'd been eying gel kitchen mats for awhile, but they are very expensive, and they're static.  So if you place one in front of the sink, it won't do much good when you're standing in front of the stove. 

I was searching through reviews of different kitchen mats when I came across the idea to buy a pair of "kitchen Crocs."  They are cheaper than a mat and they are always with you, even while canvassing the house for the 17 sippy cups you filled throughout the day (tonight I found one in the toy box and another in the towel drawer).  I ordered a pair for each of us, not realizing how excited I would be to get them.  When the package tracking information showed that they sat for four days in Salt Lake City, I said, "That's so frustrating!"  To which Hadley replied, "What's fwustating mom?"  I told her that I was upset because our new shoes weren't here yet.  Her response?  "It's okay mom, you have other shoes."  Way to think positive, Hadley. :)

So, the Crocs finally arrived tonight.  They are definitely more comfortable than walking around barefoot, and they're super fashionable to boot!  Okay, maybe not, but we're not wearing them out in public.  They do have a somewhat toxic "new shoe" smell, so they'll be airing out in the garage for awhile.  Otherwise, I think they're a great alternative to the fancy mats. 

Of snow and soup on a Saturday night

Our family tracks

Blake's fever went up to 104 degrees on Friday night, so soup making was put on hold.  Luckily, he woke up feeling much better and his temp was back to normal by lunch time.  Tyler and the kids spent the day building elaborate forts around the house.  From the pictures, it appears they had a good time.  

We went for a walk in the snow tonight.  I love how bright it is outside after a fresh snowfall.  After bundling up we were perfectly warm and the kids had a great time at the snow covered playground.  

While on our walk, we saw a snowman and we stopped so the kids could see it.  We stood there in the road, as I explained snowman anatomy to the kids..."Look guys, his eyes are made of pinecones!  He has a mouth!  Look at those arms, they're made of sticks!  Wait, what is that?  Oh my gosh, turn the stroller around- keep walking Tyler!"  

Tyler thought it was hilarious.  I have to admit that I laughed too, especially because I'm almost positive that an elderly couple lives in that home.  Do you think they made it?  Hmm...

After putting the kids to bed, Tyler and I got to work on a huge batch of chicken wild rice soup.  If you are from Minnesota, or if you have ever visited the state, I'm sure you've tried this soup.  The recipe that I use makes a huge batch and is easy to double.  I like it because it doesn't call for canned soup to make the base.  We estimate the amounts of vegetables, adjusting to our preferences.  I usually double or triple the spices, and leave out the sherry.  Sometimes I substitute olive oil for part of the butter, and milk for part of the half and half.   No matter what, it always turns out delicious.  One more tip for those of you with Bemidji ties: If you can get your hands on it, the Wallners sell the best wild rice.  Seriously.

You can find the recipe here. 

One more thing...

This is a conversation I had with one of my patients today.  The patient has a progressive disease and has had some very rough days lately, some days being unable to talk or control any of her movements.   When I went to see her, I asked how her day had been.  She replied, "Really good, I feel good."  I told her that I was so happy to hear her say that.  She thought for a minute, then said, "I do have one problem... I don't get enough chocolate in this place!"  Of all the things this woman could have complained about, this made me smile.  And yes, I made sure she got some chocolate!

A Thanksgiving recap

A very tired Blake on Thanksgiving morning

Too much turkey?

How was your Thanksgiving?  Blake was sick, but being a holiday, we were both home to take care of him.  That is certainly a positive.  We did make it to dinner at our friends' house and we all ate too much, in true Thanksgiving style. When you don't have any family in town, it's sure wonderful to have great friends to spend the holidays with.  I made a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert, but it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, so I don't have a picture to share.  So- it was a last minute carrot cake to the rescue.  I'll have to share that recipe soon- it's yummy!

Today started with Tyler's famous pancakes, then a leisurely morning at home (a rare occasion considering our opposite work schedules).  This afternoon it was off to The Festival of Trees.  One sick kid and one sleepy kid made for a surprisingly good tree viewing combination.  They both sat quietly in their strollers and took in the sights.  We brought the camera, but not the memory card.  Oops.  You can see photos of many of the trees here.

Perhaps we are feeling a little homesick for the midwest.  After we put the kids to bed tonight, Tyler and I will be making a double batch (some to eat, some to freeze) of our favorite Chicken Wild Rice Soup.  I'll share the recipe and pictures soon.

In the meantime, here are a few links for you to enjoy:

Want to rent a reindeer...from a funeral home?

In the market for a castle?

An amazing rescue story.

I hope you enjoy your Friday night!

P.S.   Did the picture of Blake make you yawn?  I yawn every time I look at it :)

Zebra cake

When I saw a picture of this cake, I knew I had to bake it.  I mean, how cool is striped cake?  Both the batter and the pattern were very easy to make.  The cake itself is pretty bland, even with extra vanilla and some espresso powder added to the chocolate batter.  In my opinion, the flavor doesn't matter when the cake looks this awesome.  I think it would be fun to play with color combinations- holidays, team colors, etc.

Here is the recipe for the cake and here are step-by-step photos.  I used 1/4 c measuring cups as scoops instead of measuring out 3 TBSP of batter each time.  I figured some of the batter would stick to the cup, making it about the right amount.  My cake took 45 minutes of baking to set in the center, but the top got a little too brown.  The glaze I used is super simple and super quick, just mix the first three ingredients in a glass bowl, microwave for 45 seconds (+15 sec if needed), stir and add vanilla.  

Let me know if you try the recipe.  I think it would be a fun baking project to do with older toddlers or school-aged kids.  It yields pretty impressive results with minimal effort. 

The last picture is a 14 layer cake I made a few months ago for a coworker's birthday.  The flavor was equally unimpressive and the cake itself took much, much longer to make.  None the less, it was also a fun experiment (and a lesson in patience).  

Happy baking!

To hold you over...

I'm going to try a new recipe in a few minutes.  If the results are good, I think the pictures will make you smile.  I've been thinking about this recipe all day.  In fact, I even considered getting up very early and making it before work this morning.  Aren't you curious?

In the meantime, here are a few things that have made me smile recently:

Hadley likes to pretend she is chewing gum.  She also likes to eat frozen peas for a bed time snack.  Last night she kept exclaiming, "I have pea gum, mom!"  It made me giggle in the childish-potty-humor sort of way.

The kids made pinecone turkeys at play group yesterday; they have currently taken residence on the mantle.  Throughout the day my kids both occasionally walk up to the fireplace, look up, and start gobbling.  It also makes me laugh.

Smoothie faces

And smooshy faces

A snowman, Boise style

And finally, this video.  I saw this guy on Ellen a few months ago and I got a kick out of his songs.  Pretty clever, huh?




Okay, off to bake.  I'll try to post the results tonight.  If it's a flop, I'll post my recipe for maple roasted butternut squash- it's amazing!  Stay tuned.

A model city

photo via smallplanet.org

This time of year, most of us are surrounded by food.  We give and receive food as gifts, we cook huge meals for family and friends, and overeating is a part of the holiday tradition.  The sad truth is that 800 million people worldwide go hungry everyday.  I can't even wrap my head around that number.   

Wait, this is a positive blog, right?  I was listening to NPR on my drive home from work yesterday, and I heard an interview with Frances Moore Lappe.  She described the anti-hunger campain in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  They believe that healthy food is a right of citizenship, whether you are wealthy or poor.  Using a very small portion of their city budget, they have developed programs to work with farmers, vendors and schools to bring high quality food to everyone.  The results have been pretty amazing; infant death rates were decreased by 50% over a 6 month period.  Here's a link an article in Yes Magazine about Belo Horizonte.  http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/the-city-that-ended-hunger

Although most of us don't have to power to bring about change of this magnitude, please do something positive for the less fortunate citizens of your town.  Donate to your local food bank, soup kitchen or shelter.  Get your kids involved and you'll not only be doing good for others, but teaching your children important values. 

My wild side

I have a confession to make.  I'm a rule breaker.  We went to a movie last night and I brought the diaper bag, even though we didn't bring the kids.  Why?  Because it's roomy enough to fit a couple bottles of water and some candy.  We bring our own snacks to the movies, just for the thrill of it.  It's a high that you can only get by combining saving money and knowing that you might get busted by some 16 year old kids.  Seriously, you should try it sometime.

We were given a suite a hockey game last week.  If you have ever brought children to a sporting event, or any public event for that matter, you'll know that having your own enclosed space for them to run around is a true luxury.  It makes the game more enjoyable for you.   And everybody else in the arena.  Again, you should try it sometime.  So anyway, in preparation for the game, I found this recipe for cinnamon-roasted almonds, which I tweaked based on reading several reviews.  One small package at the game costs about as much as all the ingredients for a large batch made at home.  Hadley calls them "sugar almonds" and she would eat them everyday if we let her.  In fact, between the two of us (with a little help from our friends), we polished off the entire batch in about 3 days.  I did bring some to the game, although Hadley and Blake were too busy eating popcorn off the floor to notice the contraband snacks that I had so bravely smuggled into the arena.
 
For the past few days Hadley has been saying, "Mom, I need sugar almonds."  I put another batch in the oven tonight and I can't even describe how good they smell.  Yummm...  I think the house will still smell awesome when I come downstairs in the morning- a perk of late night baking (roasting?).  A lot of you are probably reading this on a cold Sunday afternoon.  Trust me, you should make these.  Your house will smell so delicious.


Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
  1 egg white
  1 tsp vanilla
  3 cups whole almonds
  1/2 cup white sugar
  1/2 cup brown sugar
  1/4 tsp salt
  1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
2. Lightly beat the egg white; add vanilla, and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store nuts in airtight containers.

Sew, it snowed in Boise today...

It snowed today.  Big, fat snowflakes.  They melted before they hit the ground and it only lasted a few minutes, but Hadley talked about it all day.  The kids watched with excitement from their bedroom window, then the living room window, then the kitchen, and finally out the backdoor.  When it was decided that this was the best viewing spot, Hadley announced, "I'm going to make a snowman!  Mom, I need boots and what I put on my hands?"

These mimitens mittens were on babysteals.com about a week ago and they sold out right away.  Apparently other parents love them, and they seem like a great idea to me.  Blake does not keep mittens (or shoes, or socks, or hats) on.  I think he'd still be able to pull these off, but at least at would take a little longer than normal.  The problem is, these gloves are $31 plus shipping and tax.  I'm hesitant to spend that kind of money on something that my kids might refuse to wear.

 I decided to break out my mad sewing skills and whip up my own version of toddler proof mittens, just in case we get a more substantial snowfall. A quick trip to Target for supplies, 15 minutes of cutting and sewing and we're in business!  Here's what I did:

I bought two pairs of toddler mittens ($5.99 each) and one pair of knee high socks ($2.00).  They had several cute patterns and colors of socks.  I bought white socks so they could be used for both kids, as I was thinking I would get two pieces out of each sock.  Well, I must have been distracted by Blake trying to climb out of the cart, or Hadley repeating, "Mom, we need mustard!" (what?), because you need a pair of socks for each pair of gloves.  I only used upper portion with the cuff, but I saved the foot part- I'm thinking they'll make a mean set of sock puppets.

Put the raw/cut end of the sock inside the cuff of the mitten, and start sewing.  It's hard to see from the picture, but I rolled the sock down to make it easier to sew.  

There you have it, the finished product.  Easy peasy.  Seriously, I can't sew and I'm not very crafty, so I was pretty proud of myself.  They certainly aren't as cute as the real thing, but for $7.99 they'll do.  

I still need to make Blake's pair.  I think I'll use an old pair of Tyler's socks instead of heading back to Target to buy new ones.  I'll post an update when the mittens go through a trial run. 

Magic Baby

                     Hadley made her own version of Groucho Marx glasses after seeing a picture of her cousin wearing some.

Me:         "Hadley, are you growing up?"
Hadley:    "No, I growing down.  I'm a magic baby."

Balance

Blake woke up early this morning; Hadley slept in late.  I packed up the kids and we headed to Stroller Strides.  After a great workout, I was hungry, Hadley was hyper and Blake was tired.  We set off for home, where Blake gladly went down for a nap.  I asked Hadley what she wanted to do, and she said, "I bake cookies, and I eat them too!"

Not wanting to disappoint her, I happily obliged.  I figure if I work out for an hour, I can eat cookies for an hour.  You know, balance things out.  Right?  

                                          Two of my favorite things: a silpat and a cookie scoop

I made this recipe as written, but used all purpose flour as it was all I had on hand.  I had to eat 5 cookies to be sure, but these are quite good.  You can definitely taste the molasses, but they don't taste like a traditional molasses cookie.  

Some cookies on the last pan turned out really thin, dark and gooey.  They taste just like caramel.  I'm thinking maybe the bottom of the bowl didn't get mixed in as well, so it was mostly butter and sugar.  Yummm.... 

Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe found on www.joythebaker.com      makes 3 dozen cookies      recipe adapted from Alton Brown 2 sticks unsalted butter 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons bread flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon dark molasses, not blackstrap 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks sea salt for sprinkling on top of cookies just before baking Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix the granulated sugar and molasses until no large molasses clumps remain. Look at that! You just made your own brown sugar! Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the homemade brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and  vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for about 20 minutes, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets.  Lightly  sprinkle each dough ball with a few flecks of sea salt.  It really brings out the chocolate flavor. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes.  I like these cookies to be just a bit under-done. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Sweet Potato Cakes (aka sweet potatoes with pecans and goat cheese)

We've learned that adding the word "cake" to any food makes it automatically more appealing to Hadley.  We made these for dinner tonight, as a side dish to grilled chicken.  I think they could certainly hold their own as the main dish alongside a green salad for a great vegetarian meal.  Tyler had very low expectations, and in fact had me make him a baked russet potato instead.  He doesn't like sweet potatoes, nor does he like goat cheese.  However, they looked good enough for him to sample a bite, then another, and another.  At the end of the meal he said it was one of the best flavor combinations he had tasted in a long time!  Easy, delicious and the whole family enjoyed it- I think we have a winner!

The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, but I changed it a bit.  Here's what I used:

1 chopped apple (braeburn) in place of the celery
Skipped the parsley
about 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
2-3 TBSP dried cherries instead of cranberries ( I didn't actually measure any of it)

Otherwise I made the recipe as written, except the potatoes took about 25-30 minutes to roast on the first side, then an additional 10 minutes after turning.

My picture isn't as pretty as hers, but I promise that it was really yummy.  I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, although I may have to fight the kids for them!

Through the eyes of a two year old...

   I just love listening to Hadley's views on the world.  We are always amazed at what she remembers, including  little events from up to a year ago.  She is starting to tell jokes and she loves to sing songs.  I keep two journals on the kitchen counter, one for each kid.  I try to write in them whenever the kids say something cute, hit a milestone, etc.  I hope I can keep up with it; I think they will be a lot of fun for both the kids and myself to read 15-20 years from now.  

  Here are a few funny things that Hadley has said over the last few days:

 - (Very upset, while looking at a picture of Snow White on a horse) "She needs to get off the horsey!  She needs to get off!  She's going to break it!

- (Watching me put on a scarf before taking a walk) "Look at you Mom!  You look beautiful!"

- (Hearing the toilet flush) "Daddy went pee on the potty!  Yay!  Daddy gets a sticker!"

- (In the bathtub, holding the rubber duck to her chest) "The duck is hungry, the duck is eating my boobies!"

   

    Hadley has been playing really well with Blake lately.  She still needs to be reminded to share at times, but overall we are finally seeing them as friends.  It melts my heart to hear her say, "Here Blakey, I can help you." Every night, before Blake goes to bed, Hadley kisses him and says, "I love you Blakey, Blakey boos; sweet dreams."  So sweet!

  

  Speaking of the Blake Man... I think he can officially be called a walker, as he now walks more than he crawls.  He says "tank-oo" (thank you) whenever he is given something.  His new favorite activity (and we enjoy it almost as much as he does): Going down the slide in his big, puffy, down snowsuit.  I can't describe how funny it is to watch our little green stay puft marshmallow man go flying down the slide, giggling the whole way.  

  Hadley's response to this scene:  "Ooh, Blakey made a BIG mess!  Blake needs to clean it up!"

You've been holding out on me, Auntie Kris!

  Have you heard of Canvas by Land's End? Cute clothes that seem to be a little more fashionable and "younger" than the rest of the Land's End collection.  I think it's more along the lines of J. Crew and Banana Republic.  My aunt works for Land's End, yet I had no idea this line even existed!  

  Like what you see?  Well how about a coupon code?  Use code LEFF and PIN 1560 to save 30% and get free shipping on orders over $50.  Happy shopping!

Dreams of flying

  Can you imagine trying to get my kiddos to pose for these pictures?  Maybe in a few years.  None the less, I think they are very creative and fun.

Photo by Van Jon Holleben

Free coffee anyone?

  
   Nescafe is offering six free samples of their new instant coffee.  I don't drink coffee, but I do like to keep the Starbucks instant packets on hand for baking.  My go-to chocolate cake recipe calls for one cup of coffee, which is hardly worth getting the coffee maker out for.
   Have you ever tried instant coffee?  Is it really comparable to the real thing?
Just go to: http://www.tasterschoice.com/varietysample.aspx, limit two offers per household.

Attn: wealthy deadheads

The former home of Jerry Garcia is for sale for just under $4 million.  What a deal!  See pictures here: www.55elmirador.com

S'mores Party

Have you visited www.bakerella.com yet?  No?  Well, you should.  She posted about s'mores a few days ago and I had fun reading the comments.  I love s'mores and have eaten my fair share.  Somehow, I never thought to stray from the original version.  Some of the suggested custom s'mores included using different candy bars- peanut butter cups, Caramello, and Snickers, oh my!  Of all the ideas, the most interesting is to roast Starburst.  Has anybody tried this?  I'm definitely curious, but skeptical.

  Wouldn't it be fun to have a s'mores party?  Everybody could bring their favorite cookie and candy bar.  I'll make the marshmallows!  Who's in?


Image courtesy www.bakerella.com

On the upside...

The upside of being up way too late messing with this blog...Curb Your Enthusiasm is on the CW!

Growing up, WAY too fast

With my first child, I counted down the seconds to each new milestone.  With the second (and possibly last baby), I dread any sign that he is getting older.  Don't get me wrong, I still jump for joy, take a hundred pictures, and shed a happy tear every time he does something new.  

  Blake is 13 months old and suddenly he is heading full force into toddlerhood.  This morning he was singing twinkle, twinkle little star- "uppa bubba high!" and row, row, row your boat.  This evening he said, "thank you," to a cashier at the mall.  While these events were adorable, they were bittersweet reminders that he's not my little baby anymore.  I told him that I wasn't quite ready for him to be a toddler.  Well, I must say I have such a well behaved kid.  He took my sentiment seriously and ended that toddler nonsense, skipping right to the stinky teenage boy stage.  While I was brushing my teeth I looked down and saw him sitting on the bathroom floor applying his dad's deodorant!

Welcome!

Well, here goes nothing!  I've talked about starting a blog for a few years now.  I've considered a family blog, a food blog, a local (Boise) blog, etc.  Basically I just want to talk (type) to myself.  Lately I've realized that my conversations with my friends and family always turn to the negative- complaining about our small house that will never sell, career frustrations, financial frustrations, child care issues, etc.  When my husband tires of hearing my complaints, he turns on the x-box and I turn to the internet.  I've realized that many of the blogs and sites I frequent are full of negative people, news, and reviews.
   I've decided it's time to start dwelling on the positive.  Sure, I'll still visit those other sites.  I definitely won't stop complaining to my husband.  The hope is that I begin to change my outlook and thought processes because I realize that we are incredibly lucky.  I do feel that I'm a happy person and my life is made up of a lot more good than bad.
  So, here's the deal.  I'll try to post at least once a day.  The post will be about something positive- a happy news story, a cute picture (quite possibly of my kids- they are as cute as they come!), maybe a personal story (again, probably about my amazing kids), a good deal (I like a sale and I love free stuff), a recipe that turned out well, links to other happy sites and posts about some of my favorite things.  Generally, I'll post about things that make me happy.  I hope you find that some of them make you happy too.