Splendid Sustenance
Archive for May, 2007
May 30, 2007 at 4:15 pm · Filed under Kids
Linda and Riley came to play today.
It’s a gazillion degrees here so we busted the sprinkler out. Riley flailed his arms gallantly about, soaking himself thoroughly, while Owen methodically avoided getting wet and made attempts at soaking Riley or the surrounding plants. It’s so neat to watch their relationship mature. When they first started coming over Owen and Riley ignored each other for the most part, now they taunt each other, dig dirt together, laugh at each other, and fight for toys. It is so cool they are becoming friends. Getting to know Linda and Riley has been nothing but enriching. I get judged by so many moms I encounter, it’s refreshing to be able to kick back and not guard my thoughts. Linda, you rock girl! and Riley you are a peach and a half…
May 29, 2007 at 10:35 pm · Filed under Cupcakes
…as Owen calls them. This kids is obsessed with strawberries, and that is putting it mildly. So of course I made cupcakes with fresh strawberry sauce and icing for his last day at toddler group. They definitely had a shortcake thing going on, but they were fresh, yummy and summery…
behold
and a group shot
that’s all I have
May 28, 2007 at 5:00 pm · Filed under Random
I have been practicing my iMovie skills, it’s quite fun in a very frustrating sort of way. So I thought I would share a very uninteresting movie I made last night…
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I wish the video would look as clear and crisp as it does on my camera, any ideas why it goes dull when I put it in iMovie?
Edited:
Wel Linda nailed it, I was over-compressing it. It’s better now.
May 25, 2007 at 6:58 am · Filed under Family
I have a feeling I know what has gotten into me, why I am not posting… I’m not cooking. I’m not cooking because my house is full of TODDLER. What is UP with these creatures?
Me: Owen let’s put your pants on
Owen: Ok…..no, not now
Me: we need pants if you want to play outside like you asked
Owen: no, shorts on
Me: Ok
Owen: NO! PANTS!
Me: (showing pants and shorts) Pick one please!
Owen: NOT NOW! TRUCK!
Me: ???truck???
Owen: TRUCK IN BED! BLUUUUUUUE! (tears streaking face, snot sucking sounds emanating)
Me: ?…
OWEN: Mommy…. pants on please?
Me: ooook, pants on
and the pants went on like that.
Someone tell me what happened because I still don’t know.
And one more thing, why did he wake at 6am yesterday and then here I sit at 8am today and he is still asleep? Is there no order?
May 17, 2007 at 4:10 pm · Filed under Easy Peasy, Random
So it’s been awhile, how are you? I’m doing OK, both kids have been sick which means a gazillion pounds of snot with me trailing behind, tissue in hand, rubbing my eyes in a half asleep state. I need a break BAD, total mommy burn-out here. When I find myself in the kitchen lately, it is to clean it *sigh* I need to clean it right now in fact. Well enough boo-hooing, let’s eat! My mother’s day gift was a lovely fruit tart from Whole Foods, is there anything that store can’t do right?
Behold the Mother Tart
It was lovely to have a nice desert in the house, especially one with fresh fruit.
Last night I was wanting fresh and easy. I knew I had asparagus to eat, so I scrounged the pantry and found sun-dried tomatoes (I know totally 80’s) and some dried pasta, remembered I had fresh parmesan and threw it all together.
I blanched the asparagus, made the pasta, put the sun-dried tomatoes in the colander, poured the hot water and pasta over the tomatoes to get them nice and hot, threw it all back in the pot and tossed the asparagus in with it, then added fresh parmesan…
It was very yummy. I think for the leftovers I will whip up an alfredo sauce to pour over it and bake it.
On to this morning. Remember the wind storm? Well that storm left one of the enormous trees behind our house with a new tilt that made me think I would be waking up one morning with one hell of a splinter. We had a professional come out and look and sure enough it and the one next to it were up-rooting. The arborist was surprised the one tilting hadn’t come down IT.WAS.THAT.BAD! So lucky us, we get to hand out money to thin the forest that might or might not be on our property. Getting the county involved would have been pointless anyhow, they have more important things to pay for, like re-filling the giant pothole that keeps sinking in for the 10th time downtown. So I leave you with a video.
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It was a bit sad to see them go, but better on the forest floor than on my head.
May 13, 2007 at 1:45 pm · Filed under Random
Have a fabulous day! May it be filled with the yummiest of food, the brightest of smiles, and loads of pretty things.
May 10, 2007 at 2:50 pm · Filed under Random, herbs
This past weekend we did a buttload of yard work which ultimately sent Pete to the doctor for a thrown out back. One of my tasks was the herb garden that was quickly becoming a weed garden. I pulled the biggest weeds out and then laid cardboard down and mulch. The herb garden is such a pleasure to work in, the smells are intoxicating and make me long for slow cooked Indian food, fat baked potatoes with chives and sour cream, rosemary garlic bread, fresh pasta tossed with Parmesan, olive oil and fresh oregano and countless other dishes. Why must calories count? So completely unfair. After weeding I found the herbs again and pruned and spruced and watered, what a difference some TLC makes.
Sage
I can’t really say I am a big sage lover. I like it in stuffing and that is about it. Sage infused butter is OK on the right bread I suppose, but I’m just not crazy about the flavor. The smell on the other hand, I would plant a million of these bushes just to breath it in.
Rosemary
One of my very favorite herbs. This herb can do no wrong. And I absolutely love the little purple flowers they produce, such a show-off this herb is.
Oregano
The old stand-by. Please take my advice and just skip the dried version, it just isn’t the same.
Lavender
This herb is more versatile than people give it credit for. It is my new favorite tea at the moment. And for you bath takers, a sprig or 2 in your hot bath, serene. I plan on making lemon, lavender muffins soon, I’ll be sure to blog it.
Fennel
Another herb I am torn on, just not crazy about the taste. I absolutely love the smell, and its appearance is even better. By the end of summer it is such a rubber necking herb, towering over the whole garden and looking all Dr. Seuss-ish. Show-off.
Chives
Yes, chives get 2 pictures, that is how much I love them. One of my favorite things is fresh chopped chives in cream cheese, my god. Yet another show-off in the garden with its purple flowers all pretty and shit.
Bay leaves
Probably one of the most misunderstood herbs. I love bay leaves. Did you know that bay leaves are a perfect way to meld flavors? They have a knack at this. I love to add them to all soups, stews and chili. Also when your bay leaf bush is well established you can give the whole internet enough bay leaves to last a lifetime.
So this is some of the herbs in my garden. I long to have cilantro but it is just a pain in the ass herb to have, it lasts a second and then it dies, for good. Not worth planting.
I was hoping to have a vegetable garden this year but there just isn’t time…sigh.
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