Always Be Batman....until Capt. America arrives!

Trevor has finally grown out of his favorite PJs- honestly a year ago but he just gave them up tonight with some creative negotiating and crafting!  Got rid of old PJs and spruced up a $3 plain shirt from Target at the same time.  

Supplies: Heavy Duty quilting bond and scissors!  I will probably statin stitch over it so it will last longer tomorrow.

Easy iron on Heat Bond patch for the hole in his jeans.  I cut the character out of the fabric and bonded it to another piece of left over fat quarter and ironed it on.  I know...it's huge, but it's per specific orders from Trevor of exactly what he wanted.  He's not as nice as Tim Gunn!

Fajita- Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches

I forgot to take a picture, because I was SOOO hungry.  But, I am going to make it again so I will update when I do.  Everything can be purchased at Sams' Club:

1 Pkg Chicken Sausage- Fajita Style
1 Pkg Chiabatta bread loaf- sliced in 1/2 length wise and cut into 6 inch rolls.  Flatten the bread open and toast lightly- set aside.
1/2 Pkg of mixed petite sweet peppers- de-seeded and sliced
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Cup Grape Tomatoes- sliced in 1/2
2 cloves of garlic- through the garlic press
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4- 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes
salt/pepper
1/4 Cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Olive Oil

Grill sausage on a grill pan while cooking the rest on low/medium heat.  Sauté the peppers in a large skillet that is HOT with olive oil, tossing every few minutes.  Once they are browned and semi soft place them in a bowl.   Add 1 tsp. of butter to sauté the garlic, add chicken stock and keep to a boil, add tomatoes and seasoning.  Let those simmer off most of the moisture until the tomatoes are getting to a paste consistency.

Spread tomato paste on the toasted bread.  Slice sausage and place in the middle, load up the peppers, cover with cheese and broil on low until bubbly. 

Kris Kringles

I have been asked for this recipe many times. The secret is in how you mix it and a Kitchenaid is a must.

Kris Kringles- Loretta Ambuske

1.5 cup powdered sugar

1.5 cup unsalted butter- (in tbsp. sized pats)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 of almond extract (I like a bit less than the 1/4 tsp. called for)

2 egg

4 cups flour

Use a Kitchenaid mixer- Combine sugar and flour in bowl, "cut" the butter in 1/2 cup of pats at a time like you would a pie crust until crumbly, add eggs then extracts and mix until the dough forms a ball. Pat into rounds and chill before rolling.  Roll out into 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.  Bake at 375 (on silpat if you have it) for 9 minutes- 1 -2 minutes more if the shapes are large.  This dough does not get "brown" you know it's done when the dough looses it's sheen on the top.  Cook for 9 minutes and let sit on the silpat on top of the oven for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack so they don't break. Let completely cool before icing (preferably overnight) because it is a fragile dough.  You don't cream the butter and sugar on this recipe so that the cookies stay flat and don't get bubbles in them.

I drink wine while I bake...so pre-measuring all batches is a good idea!  I have been known to leave the ground meat out of goulash before and not notice until I am 1/2 way through eating it.

1- Four and Sugar

2- butter

I haven't timed how long to let the butter sit out (I should do that) but a good rule of thumb and description is that it is soft to the squeeze, not the touch.  It's still uniformly whiter than yellow in color.  It sticks to the paper but not enough to need a knife to scrape it off as you dump into the bowl.  It's not the temperature that would be perfect for spreading on toast, it's one step cooler and firmer than that.  

3- mix on medium to reverse cream

4- check the "lumps" of butter.  You want lumps the size on my ring finger and not as big as what is at the base of my pinky finger.

5- Mix on Med/High each egg, 1 at a time.  I love how eggs keep all their own stuff together, even when put in a bowl with other eggs!

6- 1/4 way there- keep mixing

7- 1/2 way there! The mixture will all of the sudden pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball on the whip.

8- YOU MADE IT!!!  Once the mixture starts spreading back out and sticking more to the bowl than the whip, you are done!

9- PERFECT!

The dough will plop out with just your hands, no spatula needed.  Place it in the middle of a piece of Saran Wrap and form it into a disc that is flat and round for rolling out.  Chill over night.    You will need to take the rounds out about 20 minutes before you want to roll out the dough unless you are married to Thor and he or she likes rolling out dough.  Once the dough is rolled and shapes are cut out I always bake on silpat for perfectly done cookies.  Remember- this dough doesn't get brown and you want the cookies to bake evenly....silpat is great for that!

Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes.

Busy Bee

I am going to stop saying that I am busy.  Period.  Bee's are busy.  But, bees are also productive.  Why? Bees are singularly focused.  Period.  They work on one thing and work every moment of the day for survival.  I am so fortunate to not have to "work" much for survival.  The job that pays me money is the least important "job" I have.  I AM going to try to be more singularly focused at work so that I can be more productive so that I can leave that "job" at work so that I can focus on being the best mother, partner, friend and the human being that is a positive force in the world.  "Stop Saying How Busy You Are!"

"We need to work smart, not (just) hard.
Just because you clocked 15 hours at your office, with likely dry eyeballs and a complete lack of focus, doesn't mean you've accomplished things in a smart way. Many people have written or spoken about this. Typically, you have 90-120 minutes before you devolve into Internet fodder or social media. If you're putting in 15 straight hours at your desk, without breaks, how good is your output? How much time are you wasting?"

Slip & Slide FUN.

Click HERE to see more pics!

Super Cape

Trevor is going through a serious super hero phase...or just the beginning of a lifetime of obsession.  He spent 4 days in a Batman Cape, 3 days in a Spiderman suit- with muscles and a few nights as Captain America so far.  Iron man makes short appearances.  He has taken a Wonder Woman from my office (I have a few to chose from!).  His collection is pretty good, but he does not have anything Superman.  He cried like crazy last night after I told him that he would not be getting a Superman suit anytime soon.  It's not Christmas, it's not his birthday...and we are REALLY trying not to buy him everything he asks for.  He has so much already.  This new resolve has kept me busy "making" things like a Batman belt out of duct tape and a hand drawn detail on paper for the front, painted foam paper for Batarangs...why not a Superman cape?  I have been wanting to sew something and this was a perfect excuse.  So, here it is...a couple hour sewing project to give Trevor a stand-in Cape until he can get a Superman suit for Christmas.

Trevor was a bit concerned because Superman's cape "is not blue, it's red" and the Super Logo goes on his chest and not on the cape.  I explained that once he gets a Superman suit, I would make him a plain red cape to go with it...this is just something for fun.  He is a real stickler for detail.  He always asks for babysitters and grandma to pull up pictures of Super Hero's so that he can color them correctly!

1. Red & Goldenrod Fat Quarters- on sale for $0.99.  Iron on Wonder Under adhesive before cutting.  Trace the Super Shape and exacto the "S"

3.  I had some trouble squaring off such "silky" fabric but a little patience paid off.

4.  Use 2 triangle seams at the top to add darts for the shoulders.

5. I hemmed all the sides with a simple straight stitch.

6. Wonder Under is AWESOME but I wanted to zig zag around the Super Logo to give it a finished look.  The straight edges are easy compared to sewing letters on pillow cases.

And...it all makes more sense

While helping my Mom pack up and clean the house she has lived in for almost 30 years, she gave me this scrapbook.  She said "here, you can have this, it was made for both of us".  

"To Sherry & Kerensa

In hope

That our lives may merge

for a while

That our hearts may be one 

Forever

That our dreams and Fantasies

maybe become daily fare

That the Gods smile upon the time

we share

That the memories we build together

should always warm our hearts"

-Jack the Carpenter

Monte Rio, CA (in the Redwood Forest on the Russian River)

This is the part that all makes sense!  I remember our bus breaking down in Wyoming (mainly because I cried at having to leave my toys on the side of the road) and was always told that we were on our way back to the Russian River when we ended up in Colorado instead.  I vaguely remembered a man who had built a house in the woods with a shower that was glass enclosed in a grove of Redwoods.  Whether that is from stories or real memories, I am not certain.  We ended up in Ft. Collins, CO because my Mom had picked up a hitch hiker who had a sister who lived there.  His sister came to pick him up and let us stay with her.  Real hippies were amazingly warm, generous and welcoming human beings.  My Mom has had a school bus either in her possession or wishes as long as I have known her.  Buses are not the most reliable of vehicles but not many people can say that they learned to drive a stick shift on a VW bus.  A VW bus is not the easiest stick shift to maneuver and I have been stuck in a parking lot with the inability to get the bus into reverse on more than one occasion.

In Colorado, my Mom and I lived in Pouder Canyon in a tiny cabin in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.  She worked as a waitress at the Mishawaka Inn.  I remember sitting in the kitchen and sorting silverware.  It's where I learned that silverware goes in the following order O-W-L, Spoons, Forks, Knives.  I was 4 years old.  Our cabin had a wood burning stove in the living area, a loft big enough for the bed we slept in together and a front room where Santa Claus delivered a cardboard Holly Hobby kitchen in 1977.  I left CO to live in CA with my dad when I was 7.  My Mom never left Colorado and didn't keep up with Jack the Carpenter.  She can't remember his last name.  When I asked her why she never made it back to live with Jack, she said that she fell in love with Colorado.  She was searching for a place and a home and he was "nice"- which for the women in our family is the kiss of death.  

So, even though I don't really remember Jack the Carpenter, I am grateful to find this treasure.  It is hard to find treasures from my childhood with such a vagabond life.  I am hoping that one of my Mom's friends from the Russian River days remembers him and I can tell him the joy that his book brought to me...37 years after he created it.

Bride Running Gear

A friend is running the Boston Marathon with her fiancé and then getting married in Boston later that day. Girls Craft Night with wine and some yummy food and this is what we came up with!!

Stencils
Freezer Paper
Acrylic Glitter Paint
Sequins Ribbon
Fabric Blingy flowers

Simple basting stitch and button knots were the only sewing skills necessary!

OCD

Some have found my method of eating M & M's entertaining so I thought I should document it for posterity!

A few FAQ's-

1. - first separate by color
2. - put them 2 by 2 in a line
3. - eat any odd man out first
4. - proceed to eat them 2 by 2, largest line first...until you are left with only 2 of the least represented even numbered color

-yes, that is a "sharing size" bag and it sits in my desk drawer.  It usually lasts for about 2 weeks or 3 really bad afternoons

Sound Credits:
-"All The Pretty Girls"- Fun.
-Glenn- hard at work!

The end!

Bread Crumbs & Seasonings

I was shocked when I saw the exhaustive list of things I couldn't even pronounce on my bread crumb tin (check out the long list on the label).

So, I dumped them out and made my own.

I save leftover ends of bread or 1/2 loaves in the freezer to reheat and eat with olive oil, salt and pepper. It's a good tide you over snack while you are cooking. I buy a lot of ciabatta type breads from Central Market and Whole Foods so I always seem to have bread around that won't keep very long. My body would not like if I downed a loaf of bread with dinner even though my mouth might think it's a good idea.




What you need-

4 C day old breads cubed
1/4 C good parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of Italian Seasoning and a food processor

I put mine back in the canister and put the canister in a zip lock back and put them in the freezer since there are no preservatives in the mix.  I need breadcrumbs that are toasted and not toasted, depending on the recipe so I left these raw and will toast them if needed as I go.

I have found several alternatives to seasoning mixes for fajita's, tacos and salad dressing.  It's so simple, cheaper and better for you.  You would be surprised how many things have MSG in them. 

Is Santa Real?

I am overly emotional these days.  The Sandy Hook Elementary School children and teachers are ever present in my mind and I cry at the drop of a hat.  I haven't even watched a moment of news coverage on the tragedy, other than what was on in the airport or restaurant screens while we were in Arizona.  I didn't talk about it with my friends because our own beautiful children were running around with their keen ears reminding us, every moment, how devastating it could be to lose something so precious.  So, when I received this today, after a weekend of The Polar Express and the first Christmas that Trevor has really grasped and believed in Santa Claus, I cried at my desk.  Good thing I invested in some great waterproof mascara this holiday season.

Believe.  Believe that, at this moment in time, my life is good and that the world has more to offer than heartache.

Cookie Fandango

Being a mom isn't my most interesting feature...

Click HERE for "Being a mom isn't my most interesting feature" article

"Me" before becoming "Mom" in France

Dear Ms. Meadow Stallings,

I should really just type the words "thank you" and have that be enough. The focus and clarity of your words are impressive.  For the sake of anyone else who finds comfort in community, I will share why your words were validating for me.

Four years of fertility treatments, obsessive, compulsive, hell bent on perfection, postpartum depression, debilitating fear of loss, anxiety and a total loss of ability to feel excitement is how I would summarize myself before and after becoming a mother.  There was also love and joy but I could not fully appreciate it.  Today, 3 years & 9 months after getting exactly what I said I would have died for, I am finally alive again.  I finally realized that trying to be the perfect mother to my son turned me into someone who wasn't interesting, had no real identity, wasn't happy and (the very worst part) did not like or (even worse) love, myself!

Since this realization I have spent most of my “me” time running.  It is something that I know I am good at.  Running brings me a tremendous amount of peace and satisfaction.  I run Half Marathons because I love that particular distance.  It is just far enough to always affirm that I can do anything…if I can just get through the last 20 minutes.  Running gives me the gift of a love for my body.  This is not something that comes to me easily.  Running clears the negative thoughts out of my head. I also have the most amazing community of women who champion everything “me” (not just the Mom part of me).  Some of these friends have children and some do not.  The thing I value the most is that there is no competition or judgment among our group of “moms”.  We all parent differently and value our differences.  This dynamic gives an amazing safety net of love and support when we feel that we are failing as mothers.  Let’s face it, we are always hardest on ourselves.  Every time I put myself down in front of my best friend (which is often); she says “don’t talk about my friend that way”.  That is a huge hug from love in the form of words.  I have a thirst for solving problems/puzzles (fulfilled by my job), understanding politics (fulfilled by my inquisitive partner in parenting) and the state of the human existence outside of my upper middle class urban bubble (inspired by my friends who carry the torch for Human Rights). 

I want my son to look at me when he is 25 and see me at that moment as a woman that he respects and admires, not just the Mom I was when he was my singular focus.  He will see a woman whose opinions matter and this will shape his understanding of the world. I want him to seek out those things that he will come to value in his partner.  He won't be searching for the perfect "mother" when he seeks a partner in life.  He should be searching for a person who is intelligent, self-confident, capable, loving and selfish. Yes, she should be selfish.  I hope she will be selfish, like his mother, and know that energy spent being the very best "you" that you can be is the best gift you can give your partner...and, ultimately, your child. 

Pasta Night 2

 

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli & Pancetta

Recipe HERE

 

This recipe was good, although while putting it all together it looked bland.  It turned out to be far from bland because pancetta from Central Market has a lot of pepper in it and yummy saltiness.  It just seemed like it needed a "sauce".  After putting it all together we transferred it to a bowl and used 1/2 cup of Chicken stock to deglaze the skillet and about 2 Tbs. of 1/2 & 1/2 with salt and pepper.  Whisked on medium high heat and adding 1/2 cup Parmigiana creates a very light sauce.  Voila!  Another Pasta Night tackled.  Summer Sun Pasta is still the victor, until next week...when we will see if Summer Sun stays on top or not.

Stop this train....

I blinked and something happened between yesterday and today. Trevor walked up to his white board and started "writing". I heard him say "T. R. E. V. O. R". When I looked over he was actually writing his name. He did it over and over. I helped him with his "E's" but other than that it was all him! I am really impressed!

Then he wanted to take his Cars book to bed so that he could read to himself. Awesome! He has memorized the book, not quite a real reader yet but it is a great first step in confidence in reading.

We had a bit of a rough evening since he got tired of my 4 mile run about 2.5 miles in but that seems like a lifetime ago, now!!

Double 15 Dominos- for 3.5 year olds

I'm not an early childhood development expert, which is a testament to an undergraduate degree not being worth more than the paper it's printed on since I majored in Early Childhood Development! But, being home bound and working with a boy who loves to dump out a mess, counting and colors...I made up this game and it is awesome!! and let's face it, we never have enough party guests to use Double 15 Dominos.

1.  I spread out all the dominos facing up.
2.  Asked Trevor which color dots we would "eye spy" first.
3.  Counted the dots for that color and started hunting for purple sixes.
4.  The first color picked will yield 16 dominos. Next color 15 and so on. That is another opportunity to count and is a fun feeling of accomplishment.
5.   Keep going until they are all put back away in the box. So, you also get a mess cleaned up while you are at it.

I did have to play some zone defense and say, "I see some in this area" in the beginning to help him stay enganged rather than frustrated.

 

 

Summer Sun Pasta

Pasta Night episode 1

The gauntlet has been thrown...straight down the gullet!  Sunday started a tradition of dueling pasta night.  The review of my first entry for family pasta night was "that is summer in a bowl!"  I have set the bar high with this simple, fresh and yummy dish.  The idea was inspired by this DISH on the Pioneer Woman blog.  I forgot to take a picture, because I was starving!

I even forgot the pinch of nutmeg, so maybe it could have been a touch more delicious...but, I doubt it.  Mr. Picky Pants won't eat onions, mayonnaise or eggs...so you will notice a theme in these items missing from any recipe posted in this series.

"Summer Sun Spaghetti"
1/2 # thick spaghetti
1 C Super Sweet grape tomatoes- sliced in 1/2 (these were a yellow/orange color- hence the "Sun")
1 C canned artichoke hearts (not marinated in oil, just plain)
1/8 C Half & Half
1 C Parmesan Cheese- grated
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs olive oil
salt
pepper
*pinch of nutmeg

Heat 1Tbs of Olive Oil in an Everyday Pan, saute minced garlic, add artichoke hearts (whole) for 1-2 minutes, add tomatoes, salt, pepper and cover.  Let simmer for 4-5 minutes until tomatoes have broken down.  Add Half & Half and simmer for 1-2 more minutes.  Ladle the sauce over the pasta/cheese* and toss lightly. 

*Boil pasta al dente, drain and toss with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Put warm pasta in bowls and cover with grated cheese. Let sit, while the sauce is finishing.

This is a "PC" recipe, "portion control".  If you want to feed more than 2 people or have left overs, double the recipe.  Always have chicken stock (or Veggie for Aunt Jenn) to add if the tomato reduction doesn't produce enough liquid.  The sauce should be not too thick and not too thin, just enough to coat the pasta but not create a "sopping" sauce at the bottom. 

I use Half & Half for everything, in place or milk and heavy cream, equally.  It stays fresh in the refrigerator FOREVER and works with almost any dish that calls for dairy. 

Pre-School Teacher Gifts

A small token for Trevor's Pre-School teachers.  Yes, they are teachers.  Trevor told me all about Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Earth last week!

The note reads:  "Thanks for being Trevor's "key" to success"

Easy Peasy:

1. Use 3X4" scraps of fabric
2. Place fabric "right" sides IN
3. Sew up a 4" side, across 3" and down the other 4" leaving a 3" side open
4. Mitre the corners with scissors
5. Turn outside, in- square out the corners
6. Insert 2.5X3.5 inch piece of Light HeatBond interfacing
7. Turn in the open edges like a pillow case
8. Insert 3" ribbon, folded in 1/2 with 1" sticking out
9. Iron it to seat the HeatBond and flatten it out
10. TopStitch around in a square to close, secure ribbon & flatten the fob
11. Paint & Glitter an old key just for gift giving decoration -or- spraypaint a new/blank key and use vinyl letters to put their name on it.

King Ranch Chicken

RECIPE HERE

The verdict was...."it was good".  Here are the things I like about it:

1. It doesn't ask for soup in a can, all the foods are whole and fresh
2. One roasted chicken is the perfect amount of chicken, without using much of the dark meat

Tips-

1. Always shred your own, good cheese.  Preshredded cheese has a starchy consistency to keep it from clumping together and can taste alittle plastic
2. Make 2 smaller pans
3. DON'T over soak the tortillas- mine got too soggy
4. Keep the tortillas whole, as the recipe calls for.  I thought I would be clever and cut them into strips like lasagna and I think I will try whole next time
5. You can adjust the heat if you have kiddo's or people who don't like spicy by using diced tomatoes instead of Rotel
6. Immediately take the peppers from the over and cover them in plastic wrap.  Let them sit until they cool off enough to touch.  The peels come off much easier.
7. Wear rubber gloves when chopping and handling peppers- I keep a box of restaurant gloves in my kitchen to use with peppers, garlic, shallots etc.!!