While watching Charlotte’s Web:
“Mama, it’s not right to give the baby pig away. It’s just not right.”
Man, she’s cute.
Sunday, February 7, 2010 Posted in Friends
While my parents were shoveling themselves out of 30 inches of snow this weekend, we were enjoying nothing but sunshine. I’m not sure when or how it happened, but our weekend was jam-packed with goodness. A long overdue birthday dinner for Jaia, Auntie Vinnie and I was held at my brother’s house on Friday night. Indian food lovingly made by Vinnie’s mama filled all of our bellies. Delish. And well worth the wait.
Saturday was spent at the canal soaking up the sun. We met up with some dear local and long distance friends for a skate/walk and, of course, a Beavertail. It was beautiful and packed on the ice. Jaia and her dad skated for awhile and then joined me for a stroll while the rest made it from one end to the other and back. As the sun went down, so did the temperature. To warm up we headed back to the Woodses for a warm meal and a ridiculously good time. I have seriously not laughed that hard in a long time. It was just what I needed.
Today was also beautiful. Though far less action-packed, we were able to sneak in two walks in the sunshine. I haven’t had this much vitamin D in months. C’mon, spring! We’re ready and eager for your return.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Posted in Good Eats
I don’t think I cook enough delectables to warrant a recipe blog. Dan is the real chef. He can whip up the most complicated meal and make it look simple. Not me. I can follow a recipe, but I’m fairly selective about what I’ll attempt. I don’t take risks in the kitchen.
But I do love to cook, and every now and then I come across a recipe that I feel we should share. I have a few criteria: easy, few ingredients (the more I’m likely to have in the pantry, the better), healthy and DELICIOUS.
Last week I came upon one that I’ve already re-made. And I’m pretty sure it will become a weekly staple, well, at least in the wintertime.
The cool thing about this one is that it can be made vegetarian (if you substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth) and gluten-free (if you choose a gluten-free broth) so almost everyone can eat it.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoon(s) butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 pound(s) broccoli, thick stems peeled and diced (about 2 cups), tops cut into small florets (about 1 quart)
- 1 1/2 pound(s) boiling potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 5-6 celery stalks (cut in medium-sized chunks)
- 3 cup(s) canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
- 3 cup(s) water
- 1 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
- In a large pot, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, broccoli stems, potatoes, broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the soup to a coarse puree. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli florets and simmer until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan into the soup, and serve the soup topped with the remaining cheese.
- Variation : If you’d prefer a completely smooth soup, add the broccoli florets to the pot after the potatoes have cooked for five minutes, and continue simmering until all of the vegetables are tender, about five minutes more. Puree the soup until smooth. This would also make a great first course for six people.
Happy eating! And let me know what you think…
Jaia had a birthday party to go to on Saturday. It was a princess dress-up party and Jaia woke up walking on air. Everything that day was about getting over to Amelia’s. I think she was dressed and ready to go by 8 AM. She carefully chose her Belle dress and her white crown and packed them in a bag by the door.
In the meantime, I pulled out the camera and was able to snap a few pics of my princess in a party dress, but pre-costume, taking advantage of the phenomenal light coming in our kitchen window. I hesitate to say this, but I think she just *might* be starting to enjoy getting her picture taken. Yay.
I hope I didn’t just jinx it.
One recent night Jaia called out to us in the night. I went in to find her out of bed and upset. I got her back into bed, and she asked: “Daddy why did you take the doorknob off of my door?”. I reassured her I had not.
Yesterday in response to Mama telling her Daddy is heading out to run errands: “So Daddy’s going but you’re going to stay home with me. That’s awesome. You’re awesome Momma.” Yes she is.
Shannen: “Do you want me to keep your sandwich so you can eat it later?”
Jaia: “No because I’m a superbaby.”
Over the holidays, our friend Dominik spent an afternoon outside building Jaia a very special slide in our front yard. Within a few hours, the neighbours, without realizing, shoveled their driveway and covered the beautiful slide with a mountain of new snow. Without a word, Dominik was back outside shoveling off the slide and making it better than ever.
The next few days/weeks saw terrible weather and although we could see the slide from our front window, it went unused. But finally, last weekend, we got outside for some fun and Jaia finally got to try out her very own’ slide. With a garbage bag under her bum, she sailed down with the biggest smile on her face. She LOVED it. It was priceless and went on for almost an hour!
So thank you, Dominik. You are a sweetheart. Jaia feels pretty special to have a slide all to herself and it’s all because of you. :)
Dan is away and so Jaia and I decided to have a girl’s night out and went to dinner together. When the waitress came by to give us our menus and ask us what we wanted to drink, Jaia replied, “Please could I have some water…with a slice of lemon?”
I swear neither Dan or I have ever ordered that. I have no idea where it came from, but I guess she just knows what she wants. Good on her.
Monday, January 18, 2010 Posted in Life
Well kids, We are close to finished the biggest project we’ve ever taken on. Ever. Our kitchen is fully functional again, and not only is it functional, but it’s dang pretty too.
Our AMAZING new countertops arrived last Thursday and I still find myself going in the kitchen to just steal a look at them.
We still have our fair share of work to do: painting, backsplash, lighting, baseboards – but if you compare it to what’s already been accomplished, it feels like the finish line is within sight.
What do you think?
Monday, January 18, 2010 Posted in Friends
It’s mango week. Frank the Baby is apparently as big as a large mango, weighing in at just over a pound.
I figured that since I hadn’t updated in awhile, you might like to know which fruit our new little bundle was most resembling at this point in the pregnancy. We are past the halfway mark and almost 6 months along! Craziness.
Both Frank the Baby and I are feeling fabulous. What they say about the second trimester being the easiest has certainly been true this time around. I have tons of energy and after spending most of the first trimester drifting off into sleep (sometimes at inappropriate times), I can finally keep up with my energetic preschooler without complaint.
Stay tuned next week’s update when Frank grows to the length of a cob of corn.
by shannen
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