Monday, August 31, 2009
recipe for relaxation
Joel and I had a fun weekend in Kirkland and Seattle this past weekend. We stayed at a fabulous hotel (in a room with an AWESOME view), ate amazing food, stalked one of my favorite writers to her new pizza place, had some great wine, and slept in (and also without a two year old between us!). We also visited the EMP and Sci-Fi Museum, the original Starbucks, and my favorite crumpet shop just around the corner from Pike Place Market.
Bliss!
meal plan monday
MONDAY
Breakfast: oatmeal, fruit
Lunch: sandwiches, salad
Dinner: bowties with sausage cream sauce, salad
TUESDAY
Breakfast: eggs in a nest, fruit
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: black bean and sweet potato enchiladas
WEDNESDAY:
Breakfast: yogurt and granola
Lunch: grilled cheese, tomato soup
Dinner: buffalo chicken sandwiches, veggies and dip
THURSDAY:
Breakfast: oatmeal, fruit
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: End of Summer Harvest Soup, homemade breadsticks
FRIDAY:
Breakfast: muffins, smoothies
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: smoked chicken, pasta salad
SATURDAY:
Breakfast: pancakes
Lunch: chicken sandwiches, fruit
Dinner: out
SUNDAY:
Breakfast: waffles
Lunch: sandwiches, salad, fruit
Dinner leftovers:
Extras:
Lemon & Lavender scones, Blackberry Cornmeal Muffins
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
shots from the first week
Here's Ava playing number bingo. I found a set at Lakeshore Learning, but I'm cheap - I just drew my own!
While Ava and I were playing bingo, Emily worked on sorting beads by color. She got them all correct too! I don't remember Ava knowing her colors this early.
Ava and I had some craft time too - we scrapbooked together. She got to really work on her cutting skills by using the leftover Disney stuff I had from doing the album for our vacation last summer. I actually got a few pages completed (and can I just say...LOVE that Amy Butler does paper crafting supplies!!).
Sunday, August 23, 2009
meal plan monday
MONDAY
Breakfast: pancakes, fruit
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: penne with white beans and rainbow chard
TUESDAY
Breakfast: soft boiled eggs, toast, fruit salad
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: smoked chickens!
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: oatmeal, berries
Lunch: grilled cheese, tomato soup
Dinner: sausage and tortellini soup
THURSDAY
Breakfast: pancakes, fruit
Lunch: burritos, salad
Dinner: black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, salad
FRIDAY
Breakfast: omelets, smoothies
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: out of town
SATURDAY
Out of town
SUNDAY
Out of town
Extras:
marinara sauce, zucchini bread
back on the school train
Tomorrow, we begin our homeschooling adventure! Ava has been asking to start school every day this month, so I thought we'd start early. Tomorrow, we'll start a week long review of what she learned last year so that we can ease into a school routine. I've got my learning board set up, school supplies all stocked, and my lessons planned for the week.
I'm going to combine two sets of curriculum that I found online, plus we'll be taking some classes at the local community center for homeschoolers. Starting in September, we're going be part of a weekly homeschool co-op, and I have also formed an art group with a few other families that will meet twice a month. WHEW! I'm pretty sure that all of this will provide a ton of opportunities to learn (which, let's face it, kids just do on their own just fine!).
Friday, August 21, 2009
Oaks Park!
fountains!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
summer (in a jar and on my plate)
And tonight after the girls are in bed, I can't wait to have a cup of the lovely tea I bought in Seattle with a fluffy, fragrant scone. Heaven!
Lemon & Lavender Scones
makes 8
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 t lavender (make sure it's not sprayed!!)
5 T butter, cold
1/2 cup milk
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 T heavy cream
sanding sugar
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the first 8 ingredients, pulse to blend. Add lemon juice to the milk, pour in and pulse until barely combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8 inch disk. Cut disc into 8 wedges. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, brush wedges with cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake at 375 for about 18 minutes, or until slightly golden on top.
Peach Lavender Jam
1 T lavender (not sprayed!)
1/4 cup boiling water
5 cups peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
4 cups sugar
1 pouch of pectin (or not if you are making freezer jam)
Seep lavender in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Strain, reserving tea. In a dutch oven, combine lavender tea, lemon juice, peaches, sugar, and pectin. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 5 minutes. Skim off the scum. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes or so until the mixture sets (try dropping some in a bowl of cold water...does it gel together? If so, it's done). Pour into sterilized jars and follow manufacturer's directions.
Mmmmm...summer in a jar!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
off to see the wizard
The girls had fun eating new things (oysters!) and were completely fascinated by the boats. We spent almost a whole day at Ballard Locks, watching the boats go in and out, up and down. We also watched the salmon try and make it up the fish ladder below the locks. Best of all, Ava got a lesson in baseball when we watched the Mariners kick the Yankees butts and see Safeco Field AND Qwest Field ("Dat's where dey play FOOTBALL Mama!!!"). Well, OK, maybe that was best for my baseball loving heart. But really...planes taking off left and right, a ferry to Bainbridge Island, and Shirley Temples until they couldn't drink anymore...the girls were in heaven!
Playing at the beach:
Seattle, we can't wait to spend more time with you soon! Dad and Josh, as always, it was a fun time :)
Monday, August 17, 2009
meal plan monday
MONDAY
Out of town!
TUESDAY
Breakfast: soft boiled eggs, toast, fruit salad
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: out
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: oatmeal, berries
Lunch: grilled cheese, tomato soup
Dinner: cheeseburger pasta, salad
THURSDAY
Breakfast: smoothies, French toast
Lunch: burritos, salad
Dinner: black bean cornmeal pie
FRIDAY
Breakfast: omelets, smoothies
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Greek Orzo Salad, spinach salad
SATURDAY
Breakfast: oatmeal with berries
Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit
Dinner: baked macaroni and cheese with ham and peas, salad
SUNDAY
Breakfast: pancakes, berries, yogurt
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: buffalo chicken sandwiches
EXTRAS
Bread, granola bars, meringues
Thursday, August 13, 2009
OK, OK, I'll give up the recipe!
Peach Pie, Tigard Barsotti Style
serves my family in one sitting
Pate Brisee:
(from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)
Makes enough for 2 double crusted pies
5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 T kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup ice water
***The key to a tender, flakey crust is starting with VERY cold ingredients. I've been known to chill my flour. I make mine in a food processor, but if you don't have one, you'll need to have a pastry cutter. You do NOT want to over mix.***
Place dry ingredients in food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse just to mix. Add butter and shortening, and pulse again, just to combine (should resemble cornmeal). Add a teaspoon or so of water at a time until the mixture has curds and clumps and stays together when you squish it between your finger. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Wrap the dough in plastic, chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. You can also freeze pie crust (especially since this recipe makes so much)...just separate the dough into 4 portions, wrap well, and freeze and voila! you've got pie crust for 2 or 4 pies.
To roll out, make sure that the surface and rolling pin are well floured (and if you're very luck, your surface is a cold slab of marble!).
Filling:
6-7 peaches, sliced (you can peel them if you want...to me, it's too much of a PITA)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into tablespoons
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees
Roll out one disk of pie crust. Gently lay it in your pie pan. Trim edges so that there is about a 1/2 inch of overhang. Put pie plate into the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Mix everything except the butter together gently in a large bowl. Pour into pie plate. Dot with butter. Return to refrigerator.
Roll out second disk of crust. You can either make a lattice, use a pie bird, or make a decorative top with 2 inch rounds of crust - your choice! You could skip a top crust and just make a crumb topping. Whatever you choose, top your pie. If it's some sort of crust, crimp the edges. Brush with cream (the real stuff, people) and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake for an hour.
Cool for at least 2 hours.
Serve warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream.
Go to gym and take an extra spin class to work off all of that butter. Then chase some small children around at the park to work off the sugar.